The Next in Line
by The 7th Element
Summary: Based on GTA Online, this story chronicles the criminal career of Alexia, a painfully-shy young woman from South Yankton who is persuaded to move to Los Santos by her uncle, the leader of a powerful crew in the city, in the hopes of her one day succeeding him. There's humor involved, and lots of training montages. Rated T, mainly for language and violence typical of the game.
1. Intro

_"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be arriving at Los Santos International Airport shortly. Local time is 8:05 PM, and the current temperature is 82 degrees. Please make sure your seatbelts..."_

The captain's instructions became but a meaningless drone to a certain young, black-haired woman onboard, whose stupefied stare was directed toward the sight of the illuminated Los Santos skyline. Her uncle had told her that LS was a big place, and she had certainly seen pictures of the cityscape online, but they were more like poor, amateur illustrations compared to these giant artificial mountains, their lighted exteriors turning the otherwise dark and sunless sky above them a bright orange hue.

A friendly tap from the passenger next to her prevented her from being scolded by the notoriously-crabby FLY US attendants patrolling the aisles. She hastily fastened her seat belt and positioned her lap table upright before taking in one last glance of the city, now accompanied by the colorful neon-lit attractions of the world-famous Del Perro Pier.

"This your first time visitin Los Santos?" asked the middle-aged African-American woman in the neighboring seat.

"Y-yeah..." she responded, briefly unsure on how to make small talk with the people of this amazing city. "Well, actually I'm gonna be...living here."

"Really?" replied the woman, somewhat surprised. "What neighborhood?"

"Pillbox Hill. My uncle, he's lived here for a while, and he was nice enough to give me the down payment to a really nice apartment."

"You mean them luxury apartments?!" she responded, obviously astonished.. The younger woman nodded.

"Girl! That must be some uncle! Does he have a-" she stopped when she realized some nearby passengers were staring her. Not wanting to embarrass the girl, she instead bent down and spoke to her in a softer, lower register.

"I, um, actually don't live too far from Pillbox Hill. Not in a...luxury apartment, of course. Maybe we can meet up sometime. I'm Denise," she said, extending her hand and a pink business card.

"Alexia...nice to meet you." She accepted Denise's card and cautiously shook her manicured hand.

Skimming over the hot pink business card, Alexia cocked an eyebrow and looked at Denise questioningly.

"Pelvic exercises?"

"Yes, ma'am. Me and my girlfriends, we practice what's known as new-age feminism, and a strong and healthy pelvic cavity plays a large part of the spiritual empowerment of women," Denise proudly proclaimed. "You should come take a spirit walk with us sometime, I'm sure Magenta would love havin another white girl around."

"Yeah, I...I'll think about it," said Alexia halfheartedly before turning toward the window to realize that the plane had already parked, and passengers were being let out.

Alexia then proceeded to wander around the vast concrete maze of America's busiest airport, searching for one of her uncle's men that had been sent to pick her up.

Alexia's uncle, as Denise had hypothesized, was indeed a rather important fixture in Los Santos. However, contrary to most wealthy men, he was not a very public face (he was much more of a recluse), nor did he gather his large fortune by...entirely legal means. Alexia's uncle was none other than the notorious Remus Knight, the leader of a powerful Los Santos crew called The Black Skulls. Consisting of about 750 of the most bloodthirsty criminals in the state, the crew would make make it a regular hobby to execute large, bloody purges on the Los Santos police, as well as on rival crews. They would often do this with the use of such advanced weaponry as LAPV Insurgents and armored Karin Kurumas, as well as handheld miniguns and heat-seeking rocket launchers. Every member of the crew, to signify their allegiance, was to wear a jet black skull mask and all-black clothing whenever they were to go out on a killing spree, so that the general public and law enforcement officials would be aware of who reigned the streets of Los Santos in blood.

Aside from the high-ranking mass murderers, however, were the lower rank hoods, who were often assigned to minor drug deals and occasionally running errands for Alexia's uncle. One of these 'doots', as they were called, was a rather tall and lanky African-American man, leaning against a dark-blue 2004 Albany Emperor. This particularly-shady figure was, for some reason, carrying a bright red rose in his hand, which he used to signal to the black-haired girl that was quite visibly struggling with her heavy suitcase.

"Ay girl, you need some help with that?" asked the man, looking over the rather-attractive niece of his boss.

Not waiting for a response from Alexia, he immediately proceeded to lift the rolling suitcase unnecessarily high over his head and drop it into the trunk of his car.

"No trouble at all," he boasted, pretending to wipe sweat off of his brow. "How it do, baby? Lamar Davis. You Alexia, right? The big dog's niece?"

Alexia reticently accepted the rose that he persistently held in front of her face.

"Yeah, that's me...is this from my uncle?"

Lamar's face lit up with uncertainty, as if this was not the response that he had expected.

"Uh...no, i-it's... mine. Uh..."

"Oh. Um...well, I don't..." Alexia, not able to find the correct words, instead tossed the rose onto the pavement.

"Yeah, okay. I'm cool with that. That's cool. Like, keepin it, like, bidness only, you know?" he stumbled, his face turning slightly red.

"Yeah, that...that's fine with me."

"A'ight, that's trill baby. Uh...we should prolly jet, the boss gon' like, cut my nuts off or somethin if we late."

Alexia immediately turned and gave him a half-puzzled, half-disgusted look.

"I-I mean, not that he does that or nothin', 'least, I don't think he does..."

Alexia climbed into the front seat of the car. However, as soon as the door was closed, she immediately started to gag and attempted to hold her nose, due to the pungent odor that pervaded the car's atmosphere.

"Damn baby, you a'ight? I mean, this hoopty is a dirty mo'fucker, but I did try an' clean i-."

"That smell, it's...it's horrible!" Alexia cried through her pinched nostrils.

"What are...Ohh..." Lamar proceeded to break into a raucous chuckle as he cranked the engine. "I guess you ain't really accustomed to the smell of kush."

As Lamar accelerated forward, Alexia desperately opened her window and inhaled the heavily-polluted-but-better-smelling Los Santos air.

"Man...man, I'm sorry baby," said Lamar in between chuckles. "Me and my boy Frank, we was cruisin in this hoopty last night, we was rollin like, fitty sticks of that shit, man, and boy that was some dope shit right there. Y'know, I dunno if you will, but if you end up, like, givin it a try or somethin I gon' hook you up man, I got this dealer who can get you, like, 75 on the..."

Again, Alexia managed to tune out the meaningless voices and gape out in wonder at the illumened monoliths in the center of the city. This time, they were much closer, only maybe a few yards away from the freeway that they were traveling on, and only served to make her feel smaller. One of the skyscrapers, she noticed, had obvious signs of construction on its surface, and many Latino workers currently on their dinner break. With her sholder-length black hair sweeping in her face as Lamar floored it down the highway, Alexia struggled to crane her neck upward and witness a helicopter, about just a few feet above the summit of the Maze Bank arena, presumably coming in for a landing.

"Hey baby, you aight?"

For the second time that day, Alexia had been snapped back into reality. She quickly poked her head back in, the smell of marijuana no longer as strong as it was.

"Naw, naw, I'm just sayin, do what you want, man. I-I just thoughtchu was goin all, like, catatonic on me or some shit, like..." he began to break into wheezy laughter. "And you was just, like, lookin up with that...that big grin on yo'face, man. That's hilarious."

Alexia blushed slightly and gave a nervous smile.

"Sorry," she said timidly. "It's just...I'm a country girl, y'know? I lived out in South Yankton most of my life, so I've never really...seen buildings this tall before."

"Yeah, that's cool. I see these everyday, you know? I don't really give em a second glance but, shit, it's kinda nice to see you so interested in somethin I've seen my whole life, it's kinda like...I don't know, a lil kid or somethin...You kinda give off that vibe, girl, it's kinda cool."

At last, the car rolled to a stop at a red light. Lamar looked around suspiciously before turning to Alexia.

"Ay, uh, since we outta...airport jurisdiction," Lamar practically whispered, leaning over to Alexia's side of the car. "I know you ain't really a flowers girl, but...I got somethin else that might be a lil more...useful."

Alexia gently took the small piece of metal from Lamar and studied it in the light of the streetlamp beside them.

"Wow...is this a Taurus PT92 9mm?!" Alexia asked, enthusiastically.

"Uh...yeah," Lamar responded, again receiving an unexpected response from Alexia. He couldn't help but give a short, surprised laugh. "How'd you know?"

"Like I said, I'm from the country. You ask me anything about guns...a-and hunting, I'll probably know it."

"Aight then..." said Lamar, thinking of a ridiculously obscure question involving firearms. "In, uh, most machine guns...what kinda action it got?"

"Open breech. Like, with modern machine guns especially, when you pull the trigger, the breech bolt automatically opens, so you don't have those annoying little cock-offs you get, like, when it's really hot inside the gun and the chamber ignites by itself...right?"

"Hell...I don't know baby," said Lamar, grinning. "I guess so. Normally, I just like to pop shit off an' hope it hit some mo'fucker I'm creepin up on. I dunno all that other shit."

Alexia smiled, her eyes still glued to her new gun.

"But, uh, that knowledge gon' really help you out, homie. Just know that huntin Ballas or...whoever you don't like, it ain't like killin a sasquatch or whatever y'all hunt up in South Yankton. You, uh...got anything against killin dudes?"

"Not really. I'll only do that if I have to," she said stoically as she detached the magazine of her gun. "Besides...there's some bad people in this city, right?"

"Ohh, fo' sho'!" Lamar responded, his certainty and confidence returning to its pre-embarrassment levels.

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence, save for the gangsta rap songs blaring over the radio, as Alexia studied her new weapon. Lamar, rather proud of himself for making her smile, leaned back in his seat and weaved through traffic with one hand on the wheel. At last, the car approached to a small lot in West Vinewood, with a few generic sedans lined up on the far end and 2 or 3 Black Skulls hanging around the entrance.

"Evening, Ms. Knight!" exclaimed one of them. "Welcome to Los Santos!"

Alexia Knight made sure to give a courtesy wave from out of the window.

"So, um..." she began. "Do you know what this...meeting's about?"

"Aw man, you don't know?" he said, abruptly shifting the car into park. "Shit, girl. I thought yo' uncle told you already, but he went ahead an' arranged a little...test. Like, for you."

"A test?" she repeated, with a flummoxed look on her face. "What kind of test?"

"Heh, only the best kinda test, lil boo. Yo' ass...gon' be racin' my ass...right here, an' right now."

She was about to question him further, but at that point, a burly Black Skull courteously opened the door for her.

"Evening, Ms. Knight," said the gang member in a rough baritone voice.

"E-evening," she replied in a high and timid manner.

Alexia graciously took the man's enormous hand and stepped out of the shitty-smelling Emperor, making sure to tuck her new pistol into her back pocket. The ginormous man made sure to close Lamar's car door so that he could freely do donuts in the parking lot.

"You'll be fine, Ms. Knight. Lamar's just a bit foolish," said the burly man, trying to comfort the outwardly-nervous woman.

"Yeah, I-I can see that," she agreed, watching as he climbed up onto the windowsill of his car and steered around the parking lot with his feet.

"Hey, Alexia, you like takin in the sights of Los Santos, right?! Well, you lucky, 'cause you gon' get a great view...of the back of my whip, through this whole race!" Lamar let out a smug laugh and continued burning rubber obnoxiously.


	2. Gotta Go Faster Faster

"Hmm..."

Alexia meticulously studied each of the cars that were being presented to her in the lot, one which she was expected to take on a potentially-deadly highspeed course through downtown Vinewood, one of Los Santos's busiest and brightest districts.

"You see anything you like, Ms. Knight?" asked a smaller Black Skull with many painful-looking facial tattoos and piercings.

"Alexia's fine, thanks," she smiled at him. "And um...I dunno, I really like this one, but...do you have it in red?"

Grinning nervously, the man immediately jumped into the front seat of the Ubermacht Oracle she had pointed out and floored it down the highway adjacent to the parking lot.

Seconds later he returned, with a fresh coat of blood red paint on the tiny coupe.

"Only the reddest for m'lady-I MEAN, Alexia."

He attempted at joking to her, but these efforts were mostly in vain because of his overwhelming nervousness. Despite the nice and understanding persona she was giving off at the moment, he knew all too well that a wave of a finger from this woman could possibly cost him his life, something he was not willing to risk over a subconscious slip of the tongue or offensive gesture.

"Wow, this is nice," Alexia commented as she climbed into the drivers' seat. She was definitely picking up on his nervous aura, which caused her to question whether her family connections were going to do her much good in this new city.

"Um...thank you. Good job."

"My pleasure, ma'am-ALEXIA, sorry."

The anxious Black Skull backed away awkwardly, all the while making eye contact and smiling in the most uncomfortable way imaginable.

Alexia turned the key, adorned with a deluxe sequined black skull keychain, and successfully started the engine. Predictably, the loud roaring sound attracted Lamar, who had been rolling up another foul-smelling blunt with a group of doots.

"Damn girl, that sho' is a nice whip. Course, it's...not as nice as mine, but...you know, still nice."

Alexia couldn't help but smirk at Lamar's obvious fallacy.

"Really? Well, at least mine smells a hell of a lot nicer."

"Ahh, I knew you wouldn't be so shy 'round me for long," said Lamar, grinning like a stoned Cheshire cat. "Welcome to the family, homie."

Alexia gleefully took hold of Lamar's outstretched fist and proceeded to shake it, not realizing that a handshake was not his intended gesture of friendship.

For an unusually long while, Lamar stared at the girl with a potent expression of befuddlement and indignation, as if she had somehow done him a great dishonor by not returning his desired fist bump.

Realizing that she had potentially done something terribly wrong was enough to cause Alexia to turn a newly-discovered glossy shade of red. She proceeded to slowly slink down into her seat, attempting in vain to remove herself from Lamar's continuing deriding gaze.

Once she was sufficiently low enough (which was practically on the floor of the car), she was suddenly snapped from her trance of embarrassment by a loud banging noise, originating from the roof of her 4-door coupe. What she saw was Lamar, practically out of breath from the relentless hoarse laughter that escaped from his mouth. So out of control was this intense case of the giggles that Lamar had to repeatedly bring down his once-friendly fists onto her car's roof, in a desperate attempt to calm down.

"Man...man, sh...man-" Lamar attempted to speak. "That shit was the funniest...that shit was...it's goin on my LifeInvader, man I...oh, man, homie. Whoo! You-you crack me up sometimes, girl, and I fuckin...I fuckin love you fo' it! I love you, baby!"

Alexia gradually got around to sitting upright in the drivers' seat, the beet red coloring of her face fading as she saw that Lamar was not offended in the slightest.

"Now give me some knuckles, girl, Fo...For real this time!" said Lamar, letting out the last of the chuckles and holding out his fist once again.

Alexia reeled back and delivered a firm bump onto Lamar's leathered knuckles.

"Oh hell yeah, baby you got it! You-!"

"HEY!" squeaked an unfamiliar voice behind them. "Could you quiet down PLEASE, I'm trying to pick out a suitable vehicle! THANK YOU!"

The little girl quickly stomped off to wherever she had come from, leaving both Alexia and Lamar's mouths agape. Beyond curious about whether this was some sort of prank, she stepped out of the car, leaving the engine idling so that she and her new friend could investigate.

"Hmm, V8 engine, 5.7 Liters, very nice," the little girl observed. Alexia noticed a slight lisp in her voice, the result of visible yellow braces on her teeth. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied in long, Dorothy-esque pigtails behind her.

"So, um, how fast can this puppy go?"

"Oh, 110, easy. 0 to 60 in 4 and a half seconds," replied the nervous Black Skull from earlier, who didn't seem to have nearly as much trouble talking with the elementary-aged girl in front of him.

"Wow. Pretty nice for a 4-door sedan. Those fools at the LSPD probably bit off more than they can chew with this cruiser. Um...y'know, it's got good stats for its class, I'll take it."

That being said, the Black Skull tossed the little girl a set of keys to the black Cheval Fugitive that she had picked.

Alexia and Lamar, had been observing the scene from behind a nearby dumpster, staring as if they were witnessing some sort of extraterrestrial or paranormal occurrence unfold in the tiny parking lot.

"Shit, girl...that looks like yo' competition," Lamar informed, wearing that same goofy grin that he usually donned.

"Wait...weren't you my competition?"

"Naw, well I am...but I guess the boss wanted to induct both new members simultaneously."

Lamar leaned in closer. He began to speak in a low whisper as the girl rolled past, testing out her vehicle in the parking lot.

"A couple nights ago, we found her tryna lose some heat down by Dock City, I think she'd like, escaped from a mental institution or somethin. But she was drivin' like..."

Lamar made some crazy motions with his leathered hands, unsure how to describe the girl's impressive driving skills.

"She drive like the devil, man. But, uh, when she lost those rollers we uh...hit her up, askin her to be part of the crew. And in exchange, we said we'd give her some protection, a steady income, an' access to the best vehicles in the city. I, uh...think she signed on 'cause of that, she is, like, REALLY into cars, man."

The two competitors sat for a while, watching as the girl maneuvered her jet-black sedan around the lot's many obstacles, getting a feel for how it operated before the race that was about to commence.

"But, uh...good luck to you," said Lamar, much more cheerfully.

"Thanks," Alexia sarcastically replied.

"No problem...Kiss on it?"

The glare that Lamar received from that statement was enough to force him to back off immediately.

"Aight, aight...you can't really blame a nigga fo' tryin' his luck."

Lamar proceeded to his car, and Alexia did the same.

"Speakin of tryin' his luck, that's kinda what yo' uncle just did, dawg!" Lamar warned from behind the sputtering of his V8 engine. "Man, that nigga just phoned in an' put down a HUGE-ass bet on yo' ass, like 10 G's man, fo' real!"

Lamar's information only succeeded in filling the air of the not-so-smelly Ubermacht Oracle with a suffocating odor of anxiety. If Alexia lost this race, just how disappointed would her uncle be? After all, she had known him since she was a toddler, before he had moved to this city, and was aware of his tendency to get slightly...violent when angered.

Alexia's stress-induced train of thought was interrupted by the sight of the other two cars pulling up onto the highway, lining up in a side-by-side fashion. Alexia rushed to do the same before anyone could judge her for being too slow.

Once situated, Alexia peered over to her right to look at the strange little girl, Before the race, she was applying some chapstick and adjusting her interior rearview mirror, the deafening sound of Nonstop Pop FM blasting from her speakers.

"Hey! Little girl!"

Alexia successfully grabbed the attention of the child, who glanced over at her with an obvious sense of scrutiny.

"Listen, um, I dunno how you got here or...how you're driving right now...but, good luck anyways!"

Alexia smiled, as she had just seemingly socialized with another person in Los Santos.

"Oh, please, I don't need luck," the girl chided her. "Especially from a freakin' goth girl."

"Hey...young lady! What makes you think I'm-?!"

"Man! Y'all can fuckin' catfight later, an' I'll be sure to get it on tape!" yelled Lamar impatiently. "For now, let's just put our foot to the gas, and see who the fuck is the better driver in this shit, man!"

"Yeah, what he said!" the little girl lauded. "I love you, you stupid loudmouth!"

"Exactly homie, I...wait, loudmouth?"

Before Lamar could question further, his attention was turned to a stunningly-beautiful woman, wearing only a black bikini and a matching black skull mask. She began to strut provocatively out onto the highway, in front of the three anxiously revving cars. In her hand, she carried a loaded Marksman Pistol, which she raised above her head and prepared to fire into the air.

"Aww, shit, here we go!" The adrenaline in Lamar's blood and the fact that he just might hook up with this girl later on had him practically bouncing up and down in his seat.

At long last, the trigger was pulled, and the three racers wasted no time in accelerating, missing the bikini-clad woman by mere inches.

In the lead were the mysterious little girl and Lamar, with Alexia's Oracle bringing up the rear.

"Right up here homie! I'm bout to go nice and slow fo' yo'-hey, man! WHAT THE FUCK!"

Lamar's planned taunting of his two competitors was brought to an abrasive halt as the little girl mercilessly rammed into the Emperor's rear end. Lamar tried his damndest to fight the girl off as her far-superior vehicle delivered more and more merciless collisions to the back of the old rustbucket. Finally, the girl managed to get at just the right angle to execute an almost-flawless PIT maneuver on Lamar's beloved old hoopty.

Alexia could only watch in horror as Lamar began to spin out of control. In the process, he hit a nearby curb, which at the speed he was going, immediately sent him airborne. All of this vehicular chaos then transitioned into a wild barrel roll over the concrete, smashing a few pedestrians in the process, before smashing through a nearby shop window. The girl's tiny middle finger could clearly be seen sticking out of the drivers' side window as she sped off.

The red Oracle immediately stopped to help her friend, but Lamar, who appeared completely unhurt, was quick to step out of his totaled vehicle and usher Alexia away.

"Man, go! GO! Get that psycho bitch!"

Seeing as he was indeed alright, Alexia's eyes narrowed toward the road; she proceeded to floor it down the highway, tire smoke and determination accompanying her departure.

"I love you, baby! You so hood!" Alexia barely heard over the thundering sound of her engine.

After executing a tight turn down a narrow Vinewood street and then turning onto an immense divided highway, the little cheater was soon in Alexia's sight, weaving through the heavy city traffic like the devil that Lamar had described her as. So flabbergasted was Alexia by this display of vehicular superiority that she barely had time to swerve left and avoid the blue Vinewood Tour bus that was proceeding at a high velocity from one of the intersecting roads.

This last-second obstacle managed to force Alexia into the opposite lane of traffic, sending legions of honking horns and blinding oncoming headlights her way. A semi truck and a dense line of cars prevented her from returning to the relative safety of the correct lane, so she was forced to make a beeline to the sidewalk. The sickening thuds of people against the speeding hunk of metal was enough to make Alexia cringe.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Another thud, followed by a girlish scream. "I'm sorry!"

A rather unlucky obese man became wedged between the hood of her car and her windshield, leaving his face pressed up against the glass.

"I-I'm so sorry!" the frightened woman attempted at apologizing.

The fat man's eyes lowered after seeing this pitiful sight; he looked at his unwilling assailant with not anger or shock, but rather slight annoyance.

"Woman drivers," he audibly muttered, before successfully managing to roll off of her windshield.

This just about gave Alexia a second or two to avoid a line of metro buses and navigate to another side road that led up a hill. The little girl was much closer now, only about a car length and a half away, which gave Alexia extra motivation to dodge a line of cars and a billboard so that she could eventually come side-by-side with the other vehicle.

As soon as the two cars were within striking distance, each girl immediately took the opportunity to deliver several rage-induced blows to each others' vehicles. All throughout this demonstration of vehicular-induced madness and brute force, the two competitors refused to relent, steering their cars toward each other in the hopes that maybe one of them would spin out into the nearest wall or semi-truck.

In spite of the chaos, Alexia soon sensed an opportunity in the form of a wide row of cars occupying the opposite side of the road. With a maniacal, evil-looking grin on her face, she positioned herself at an angle towards the back of the other car, to ensure that it would not back out of her maneuver. Then, before the little girl realized what was going on, she began to steer into the other car with impressive force in an attempt to push the younger girl into the path of the speedy oncoming traffic that had just been released from a lengthy red light. The little girl attempted to counter this by shifting to reverse, but the Fugitive refused to back up under the relentless force of the slightly-bigger Oracle.

As the blinding glare of multiple headlights came closer, the little girl, in a state of panic, had no choice but to swerve to the nearest sidewalk, obliterating a streetlight, a sign, and perhaps a few pedestrians in the process. Alexia, meanwhile, swerved back onto the right side of traffic and proceeded down Vinewood Boulevard, the road that the race had started on.

"Oh my God..." Alexia snickered at first, then broke out into a hysterical spell of laughter, mostly due to the effects of high-octane adrenaline coursing through her blood vessels.

"I...really didn't think that'd work...And now I'm gonna win!"

An impromptu finish line was now in sight, with several Black Skulls cheering her on from the sidewalk on both sides of it.

Alexia's semi-victory was interrupted by the sound of screeching metal behind her; The little girl had found her way out of Alexia's trap and was currently speeding toward her Oracle. The wrathful look on her face affirmed that the girl was now out for blood.

"CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP!" Alexia was quick to shift into 2nd gear and make for the finish line like some sort of metallic gazelle being chased by the far-superior steel cheetah.

The little girl followed suit, shifting to the much-faster Fugitive's highest possible gear. The finish line, it seemed, was within perhaps a football fields' distance.

"C'mon, baby...Oracle! Don't...don't give up just yet! Come on! COME ON!"

The terrifyingly-anticipated sound of metal on metal sent Alexia into a frenzy, desperate to escape the wild spin that her car was being thrust into. Both vehicles, locked in such a desperate high-speed power grip, went into uncontrollable arcs and patterns as each crossed the finish line. The foreboding screech of burning rubber against concrete served as an almost-universal signal to the seasoned onlookers, who were quick to move out of the vicinity before they could be careened into.

Alexia attempted to brake as she realized her trajectory took her straight into an enormous brick wall. Steering as far left as she possibly could, she just barely managed to avoid a potentially-fatal head-on collision. Instead, only the right side of her hood slammed into the wall at well over 50 mph.

This impact was more than enough to shatter the windshield and passenger-side window, but Alexia was quick to shield her face from the thousands of glass splinters flying her way. Her quick thinking, unfortunately, also served to divert her attention from yet another imminent collision that came from the back. This one managed to stop the car entirely and send Alexia lurching forward in her seat. Her face smashed into the newly-deployed airbag so hard that her ears immediately started to ring.

For a brief moment in time, everything was still and deathly silent, save for the incessant high-pitched droning in her eardrums. At this moment, the blur of honking horns and the roars of engines were no longer, and the view outside her shattered window was not zooming past her at an insane velocity. This relative serenity was soon brought to rest as Alexia began to taste something all-too-familiar; it was a very bitter, iron-tinted taste, and it was starting to form a bright red pool on top of the airbag that her head had slammed into.

This rather unsettling sight was the last thing Alexia could consciously comprehend. Tiny multicolored geometric shapes soon clouded her vision, accompanied by a bittersweet blackness creeping in from all sides. All she could do at the moment was allow it to blanket the stars in front of her and eventually surrender her to a somewhat blissful state of unconsciousness.


	3. Sprinkles are for Winners

**Hello, my dudes. This is probably the longest chapter I've published, but it should give a decent background of Alexia, and why she's in Los Santos to begin with. It should also resolve who won this got-dang race (which, I'll admit, is based on an experience I had when I first joined GTA Online). The, uh, gentleman I faced in my first race, the introductory Mall or Nothing, was a character very much like this angry little girl, in that his very first action was to ram poor old Lamar into the nearest brick wall, which he then did to me later on, as we neared the final checkpoint.**

 **Anyway, enjoy this chapter, it did take me quite a while to type up in between homework assignments.**

A flurry of hushed, anxious voices pushed and shoved their way into Alexia's consciousness and slowly snapped the girl back to the current state of reality. She noticed that the crowd of Black Skulls had dragged her out of her now-smoking vehicle and onto the opposite end of the road, where she was currently lying on her back.

"Hold on, y'all," sounded a familiar ghetto accent, above all of the nervous voices. "I think she needs some mouth-to-mouth reser...uh...rescertation!"

Unbeknownst to Lamar, Alexia was very much awake at that point, and was fully able to react to his lips pressing upon hers, his breath quickly spilling into her lungs. In a state of panic, her limbs immediately went flailing as she attempted to push the tall and lanky man off of her. Eventually, she succeeded, and hastily attempted to vomit onto the sidewalk. She didn't think it was possible, but Lamar's breath tasted worse than his car had smelled, with the rather distinctive tang of marijuana oil and really God-knows-what-else laying waste to her taste buds.

"See, y'all? It works!" Lamar gloated, wearing that same stupid grin that he usually had.

Several of the gathered Black Skulls let out a loud gasp as Alexia's fist connected with the side of Lamar's face; he went down, groaning in pain, with his hand covering his cheek.

Lamar's attacker, however, also went down, screaming in obvious agony due to an intense shot of pain that blasted down the nerves in her arm. Alexia, reluctantly looking down to assess the damage, was greeted by the unpleasant sight of a red and purple mess of a hand; several shards of thick, shiny glass were visibly sticking out from the many welts and sores that covered the swollen extremity, most likely the result of her foregoing protecting her hands from the glass to try and control the car. Made worse was the fact that, when she had suckerpunched Lamar, the particularly-large glass pieces that were lodged in her knuckles were now shoved deeper. The other hand, which she had used to shield her face and eyes from the miniature knives flying at her, was relatively unscathed, save for a few glass pieces that were scattered near her wrist.

A couple of Black Skulls hurried to help the injured woman to her feet, while a few others tended to Lamar, who now sported a bloody gash across his face.

"Man, what the hell was that for?!" he barked. "I was fuckin' savin' yo' life!"

"Then why did you use your tongue?!" Alexia snapped back.

"I...thought that was whatchu supposed to do! Shit, girl, you gotta have a lot mo' respect for us emergency responders, we work hard to-"

"Hi, everybody!" the little girl suddenly interjected, appearing in between the two fighting friends. "I-I'm okay, too, in case anyone was wondering."

Save for a very noticeable scratch on her forehead, the younger girl was otherwise uninjured. Several crew members simultaneously greeted her, expressing their half-hearted gratitude towards her well-being.

"Man, you know what?" said Lamar, much calmer now. "I'm just...I'm glad that errybody's okay...I love both of y'all."

He then took each girl under his arms and held them close to his body in a pseudo-bear hug. The little girl, inches from her former competitor, took the opportunity to blow a wet, sloppy raspberry into Alexia's face. She recoiled in shock and disgust as the girl giggled.

The same two Black Skulls that helped her up a few seconds ago had to hold her back before she could lay her mangled and bloody hands on the girl.

" _Anyway..._ " Lamar interjected, obviously trying to deter focus away from all of the tension. "Who y'all think won that? I mean, it was kinda close, an'...nobody was really lookin'-"

"WHAT?!" Alexia interrupted, in possibly the loudest voice that she had used all night. She actively fought against her human restraints. "Lamar, how can you even say that?! I'm obviously the winner! Y-you saw what she did, she cheated!"

"Cheated?" Lamar replied, obviously confused. "Girl, there ain't no cheatin in these races, it's street rules, dawg. Pretty much anythang goes. Sure, she destroyed my ol' ride, but I ain't mad. Insurance works wonders homie, I'll be back out doin the same thang tomorrow night."

Hearing that caused the little girl to smile as she sucked on a bright green Popsicle that had been provided by a courteous Black Skull.

"Waah waah, you whine way too much, goth girl. You should probably go cut yourself some more." It was at this point that the girl first caught a glimpse of Alexia's injuries. "Heeeyyy, from the looks of it, ya' already did!"

"WHYYYY YOU LITTLE-!"

Alexia, with impressive strength, broke away from the tight grasp of the two Black Skulls and charged at the girl. She wasted no time in wrapping her still-bleeding hands around the girl's throat and squeezing.

In true Bart Simpson style, the girl flailed her arms and made a few high-pitched noises until a few crew members managed to pull the two apart. The girl was left with a few splotches of Alexia's blood on her neck, but was otherwise unharmed.

"Y'all...calm the fuck down," said Lamar, who was apprehensive to lose his cool around his fellow crew members. "My God, if I wanted to see girls fightin I'd go to the Blaine County Mud Wrestlin' Tournament!...which, actually, I'm about to do! But for now, let's just y'all, again, _calm the fuck down..._ then we can go ahead an' watch the replay."

"Replay?" inquired both Alexia and the girl simultaneously.

"Yeah, mang. Lemme show y'all, c'mon."

That being said, the two girls, as well as most of the Black Skulls, followed Lamar into a dark and dingy alleyway that was situated adjacent to the finish line. In the alley sat a lone video camera, which was being operated by a heavyset black man with light facial hair and oversized clothing. A small Laptop sat beside him, which he was currently using to edit the raw footage.

"My boi, G! Wassup, homie?" The two proceeded to perform an overly-complicated handshake, then come together for a tight bro-hug.

"Wow...who is he, your husband?" questioned the little girl.

This mocking statement almost instantaneously made the two pull away from each other. For the second time that day, Lamar's face turned dark red.

"Naw, lil homie. He just a bidness partner. We been hustlin together since...since when, G?"

Gerald simply shrugged his shoulders, as he couldn't really remember either.

"Yeah, see that's how long we go back, we can't even remember," said Lamar, struggling to fake a bout of laughter. "But, uh, seriously man, I gotta introduce you to this girl, homie."

That being said, Lamar grabbed hold of Alexia's sleeve and dragged her over to a spot in between the two hustlers.

"Alexia, Gerald. And in reverse...You, uh, prolly wouldn't wanna shake her hand right now, but you can seal that pact later," Lamar attempted at joking about Alexia's injuries.

Alexia smiled and blushed slightly, attempting to hide the unpleasant sight of her bruised and bloodied hands. Gerald, meanwhile, shifted uncomfortably, rocking on the heels of his expensive-looking shoes.

"Man, you gon' introduce yo'self to the lady or what, homie?! Goddamn!"

"...Hey." Gerald finally spoke up in a soft, deep voice.

"H-hi," replied Alexia, just as softly. Her demeanor had seemed to return to its nice, shy repertoire ever since she had choked the little girl, which had actually played a large part in releasing the tension and anger she had felt ever since waking from unconsciousness.

"A'ight, we all introduced? Cool. G's got yo' digits from the boss, he gon' call you when a opportunity come up, like, for a job...That is, if he can even pick up the fuckin' phone to call a girl."

Lamar bent over in laughter at his apparently hilarious joke while Alexia and Gerald continued to smile slightly, occasionally letting out a false chuckle.

"Aight, aight, enough with the foolishness. You gon' do yo' thang, G?"

"Uh, yeah, fo' sho'."

That being said, Gerald got back to work, typing some keys on his Laptop to edit the footage he had captured of the grisly end of the rage.

"Now, Alexia, just so you know, he's a bit of a computer nerd..."

Gerald immediaely looked up from his work and slowly shook his head in disapproval at his tall and lanky friend, all the while maintaining a neutral, bored facial expression.

"I mean, well, not really...But he real good at capturin' footage an', like, doin' some technical magic to slow it down an' shit. Really, we use him at all our races, whenever it's just too close to call. But, uh, just on a personal note...I really do think you won."

Alexia grinned brightly. "Really?"

"Yeah homie. I mean, I'm not sure or nothin', but as I was runnin' from the sidewalk, I...I think I saw you spin out an', I dunno...cros the finish line first...Well, then again, my vision never been good, but-"

"Ay, it's live, homie," Gerald informed. He turned the Laptop toward the numerous spectators in the narrow alley; Alexia, the little girl, and Lamar all headed to the front of the crowd as Gerald played the video.

The somewhat-grainy footage depicted the two sedans in a perpetual battle to the death; each car was spinning wildly out of control until finally, both crossed the finish line at roughly the exact same time.

"Ay, play that again, slower."

Gerald replayed every frame of vehicular carnage until finally, Gerald paused to the exact moment in time that both cars crossed the line.

"A TIE?!" both girls responded, obviously shocked by this revelation.

"Aight then!" Lamar reacted, rather excited at the news. "Ice cream sundaes for both of y'all! Let's go!"

"Ay, hold up, L.D. I'm seein' somethin' else...I'll have to enhance graphics a bit."

Leaning in closer did reveal a pixelated image of a peach-colored object sticking out of the Cheval Fugitive's window. As the vehicle was facing sideways, with the drivers' side window facing the finish line, the little girl would be the definitive winner if it was revealed that this object belonged to her. Sure enough, enhancing the still picture to 1080p resolution served to do just that, depicting a very rude gesture coming out of the little girl's car.

The little girl jumped up and down in a merry celebration, while Alexia stood in her spot with her mouth agape, dumbfounded by this unlikely turn of events.

Lamar, meanwhile, chuckled uncontrollably, as in his long racing career, he had never seen anything quite as humorous as this. Lamar took hold of the victor's tiny wrist and held her high up in the air for all of the Black Skulls to see.

"And the winner, by a MIDDLE FINGER! This...random little girl we found a couple days ago!"

Every Black Skull in the crowd let out a raucous cheer and gathered around the girl, who was now vigorously attempting to squirm out of Lamar's grasp.

The burly Black Skull from earlier hoisted the girl onto his shoulders and led her back across the street to the parking lot where they had started. Alexia, meanwhile, sat hugging her knees next to Gerald, who was by now packing up his Laptop and dismounting the old video camera from its trifold.

"Are you sure that's not just...a glitch, or something?" asked Alexia.

The pronounced sadness in her eyes was enough to poke through Gerald's hard emotional shell, and irk him enough to respond in actual words.

"Naw, it ain't...This a good camera."

As he walked away, his two duffel bags in hand, he turned back to look at Alexia, who was now going misty-eyed.

"You, uh, did a good job, though. I ain't never seen a chick race as good as you. I'm impressed, girl, I'll definitely call you up soon, give you some work."

"Okay...thank you," Alexia said quietly, smiling at him.

Gerald nodded and headed quickly and quietly out of the alleyway.

Meanwhile, across the street, it seemed like a mini-Mardi Gras was going on; Black Skulls were popping bottles of champagne and gathering around the victor. Eventually, she found herself able to step onto the top of a nearby embankment that served as a sort of impromptu podium; several Black Skulls urged the little girl to make a victory speech.

"Alright, alright you guys..." said the little girl when the party had calmed somewhat. "Um...I really haven't told you my name, haven't I?"

The Black Skulls shook their heads and eagerly awaited the reveal of the mysterious little girl's name.

"Um...my name's Noël. It's nice to meet all of you."

The crew members cheered yet again, some embracing the mysterious little girl whose name was revealed to be Noël.

"And also..."

The horde of Black Skulls quickly shushed each other, so that the next part of Noël's speech could be heard.

"...Ice cream's on me, everyone! Let's go!" she exclaimed, holding up a rather large wad of cash that she had received for winning.

Immediately, everyone donned their jet black skull masks and hopped into their vehicles, which ranged from mototbikes and compact cars, to large SUVs and Insurgents. The large group of 50-or-so Black Skulls floored it down the small road, with the little girl, in her new Cheval Fugitive, leading the pack.

Alexia, in the meantime, was stuck with the rather grim duty of plucking out the multiple glass shards that had lodged under the skin of her hands. Starting with the ones nearest her wrist and working her way down to the fingers, each glass piece hurt more than the last, especially as she neared the spot where the glass was lodged deep in her knuckles.

"You, uh, look like you need this."

A small First Aid kit was plopped down on the ground close to Alexia. She looked up to see the smiling African-American man that she had punched, causing the worst of her injuries.

"Hey, Lamar...Aren't you going out for ice cream?"

"Naw, homie," he replied, shaking his head. "Ya boi LD's lactose-intolerant. An' besides, you lookin' kinda miserable right now, I thought I'd keep you company."

Lamar shooed away some nearby rats, then took a seat on the dirty concrete next to Alexia.

"But anyway, here go yo' paper," said Lamar as he handed Alexia a sizable wad of cash. "I know it's not much, but it should be enough to-"

"Wait..." Alexia interrupted, obviously taken aback by this. "I get money...for losing?!"

"Uh...yeah," Lamar confirmed, snickering at her. "I mean, if you don't want it, then-"

"No-no-no-no-no, I-I'll take it!" Alexia desperately took the money and attempted to squeeze it all into her front pocket.

Lamar, meanwhile, enjoyed another good bout of laughter at Alexia's ignorance of this well-known custom.

"Yeah-yeah-yeah, I'm an idiot. A...real fucking idiot for not knowing that," Alexia grumbled as she continued to pull out each tiny glass blade.

"Aw, come on, girl, don't be like that," Lamar attempted at comforting, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Alexia was quick to scoot away from his romantic advances, attempting to concentrate all of her focus on the task at hand.

Lamar, however, was undeterred, and looked at her with a sense of understanding that something was irking her.

"Alexia," said Lamar, in one of the few occasions he addressed her by name. "There ain't no point in bein bitter bout losin'. Errybody loses occasionally, it ain't no big deal. In fact, a couple days ago, I-"

"NO!"

Lamar was taken aback at Alexia's sudden outburst, and decided to lay off for a bit.

Sensing that she was in the wrong, Alexia softened her gaze and let out a heavy, exhausted sigh.

"I'm not bitter because I lost, I...I'm sad, because I let my uncle down," said Alexia as she successfully grabbed hold of a large glass piece near her fingernail and pulled it out. A fresh stream of blood rolled down her hand as the clotted blood was disturbed and the wound opened.

"He put down 10 grand on me, for God's sakes, because he...thought that I would win. Instead, I disappointed him, and I'm...not quite sure how he's gonna react."

"Oh..."

Lamar nodded slightly and put his face in his hands, now fully understanding the source of Alexia's stress and contemplating on how best to comfort her.

"Well...shit, girl, I know that yo' uncle has a short temper and all, but...man, you really think he'd disown his future successor and only close family member, just because she lost a fuckin' race? Now, the boss might be a angry mo'fuckah...but he ain't dumb, Alexia. He knows that you all he got...You see what I'm sayin'?"

Alexia nodded, faint traces of a smile creeping onto her lips. It was soon interrupted, however, as she sruggled with pulling out possibly the biggest glass piece, which was roughly half-an-inch in diameter and lodged in the knuckle of her ring finger.

"You, uh, mind helping me pull out this last piece?"

"Oh, oh yeah, fo' sho."

Lamar didn't hesitate to lean over slightly and grab hold of the smooth side of the glass.

"Aight, one, two...THREE!"

Alexia howled in pain as the glass piece was violently ripped out of her flesh, creating a jagged, gaping hole in her finger that quickly started to bleed.

The fiery sensation in her hand left her with tainted memories of the humble place she formerly called home, a small trailer in the outskirts of Billingsdale, South Yankton, which she had shared with her mother and two rambunctious teenage brothers. The painful memories of burning herself on the household's open electric stove and suffering a broken wrist during an ill-advised game of indoor football served to remind Alexia of the reason she had left this perpetual homestead on the Great Plains; she had wanted room to grow individually, free from the stagnated market of the Recession-stricken town and the incessant nagging of her mother to procure work and help the family, even though there was no work to be found anywhere nearby. Even if there was some kind of job opportunity, however, Alexia probably wouldn't be having it, due to her very poor social skills and her not-so-spotless permanent record.

She was expelled from the local high school at age 16 and sent to juvenile detention on charges of violently assaulting another girl, a well-known school bully that had picked on Alexia for many years, with a pair of large metal scissors. The incident had come about after the girl had shoved Alexia into the teacher's desk, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to fall onto the hard tile floor. This, of course, caused the whole classroom to erupt in laughter, jeers, and insults directed towards her. Embarrassed and in severe pain, Alexia's instincts soon turned to violent rage; she promptly stood up, grabbed a pair of 10-inch scissors from the teacher's top drawer, then lunged at the girl, inflicting several deep, painful stab wounds.

This 'particularly-disturbing incident', as the principal called it, left the girl with a mild level of disfigurement and a slight speech impediment, as well as several noticeable scars on her chest, face, and arms. Eventually, a few large boys were able to knock the weapon out of Alexia's hand and tie her to a desk until police could arrive. Soon afterward, a courtroom psychologist diagnosed Alexia with Intermittent Explosive Disorder, a mental illness characterized by outbursts of violent, angry behavior when she was pushed to a certain limit.

The rest of Alexia's teenage years were spent in a tiny cell in juvenile hall's psych ward, where she soon regretted her violent, impulsive actions and became a model prisoner; she read at least 3 books daily (including the entire King James Bible) and worked on several community service projects. She rarely interacted with her hardened fellow prisoners, instead opting to spend the time in between her tiring shifts of physical labor in the air-conditioned library, where she soon worked her way up to head librarian, the lone prisoner in charge of the 5,000-or-so state-owned books that the prison possessed.

Probably Alexia's most lasting impact at the juvenile facility was a small prisoner-run book club that had started one day, after a particularly-exhausting shift of highway litter clean-up, when a few prisoners decided to follow Alexia into her self-proclaimed "Eden" and predictably fell in love with the large, air-cooled environment. Sensing an opportunity, Alexia used her influence as head librarian to convince the warden to allow the book club, which humbly started out with the 4 inmates that had followed her that day. However, as word spread around the facility and the summer days grew hotter, several more inmates decided to invade this oasis within the prison walls. At its peak, the prison book club had 53 members, who were each required to write a detailed report on their book in order to have time tacked off of their required laboring time. The club lasted for a little less than a year and a half, unofficially disbanding when Alexia was released from juvy at age 18, although letters from some of her still-incarcerated friends indicated that it has made a recent comeback, now boasting some 12 full-time members.

Upon her release, Alexia's parole officer gave her an assortment of G.E.D. programs and halfway houses to choose from, all of which she promptly declined. Instead, she chose to move back into her mother's trailer for an unspecified amount of time and search for a minimum-wage job somewhere, which would hopefully pay enough to help her earn a decent living.

It was also around this time that a distant relative started contacting her, an uncle who showed quite an interest in her violent outbursts and promised her steady pay and security if she was willing to move to the city of Los Santos, which was some 2,000 miles away, to perform work that was far beyond the bounds of what was considered 'legal'. In his many e-mails, he would often describe fantastic scenes of explosive car chases and drug deals gone wrong that would saturate Alexia's dreams. These dreams, however, were limited by the fact that it was a violation of her parole to leave South Yankton, so she decided to remain and hope for more law-abiding work.

However, 2 years and no job later, the tiny corrugated metal trailer was made even more cramped as her brothers grew into men and her mother continued to relentlessly deride her, based solely on the fact that she was a lazy, unemployed ex-con living with her family. Low on cash and especially self-esteem, Alexia many times set out to prove her mother wrong (in some respects). On the advice of her uncle, she would sometimes borrow her father's old Winston rifle and don a cheap Halloween mask, then walk into the nearest liquor store along State Highway 69, demanding large amounts of money. As the local PD caught onto her gig and were closer to finding out who the mysterious robber was, Alexia, out of desperation, urged her uncle to make her a fake ID and pay for a flight to Los Santos. He, of course, immediately obliged.

"Ay, homie, don't be goin' catatonic on me now, you bleedin out kinda fast!"

Alexia was snapped out of her pain-induced trance and brought back to the situation at hand. Lamar, the emergency responder, quickly dug through the first aid kit and handed Alexia a few gauze pads, which she used to apply pressure on the most serious of her wounds. When a minute or two had passed and the bleeding stopped, Alexia grimaced as she realized what had to be done next.

She opened the medium-sized bottle of ethyl alcohol, but simply couldn't scavenge the intestinal fortitude to apply it herself.

"Ay, I'll do it," said Lamar, readily grabbing the bottle. "I mean, if you want me to."

"Y-yeah, yeah, just do it..." Alexia held out her most-injured hand in anticipation. "Don't even tell me when, just-AAAAAAHHH!"

Yet another blistering dose of stinging pain irradiated throughout her hand. The blinding agony was enough for a single small tear to form in the corner of her eye and drop to the concrete.

"Ohh, SHIT!" exclaimed Lamar, as a thick froth of thousands of tiny bubbles formed on the surface of her hand, presumably carrying cleansing her wounds of the infection that had obviously set in.

"You, uh, sure you don't wanna go to a hospital or nothin'?"

"That...probably wouldn't be a good idea," Alexia struggled through the intense pain. "Seeing as I'm...kind of a wanted fugitive right now."

"Oh yeah, your uncle told me about that. That, uh, sounded like a pretty good hustle, dawg."

"Yeah, well...you gotta make money somehow...y'know?"

"Yeah, I know, girl. Believe me," Lamar said, smiling at the fact that he had gotten her to see things his way.


	4. Uncle Remus

After Alexia had dressed her hands in thick, sterile gauze strips, Lamar was quick to call his longtime friend JB to tow away her Oracle, which she was informed that she would be able to keep for use as her very first personal vehicle. This came as quite a surprise to Alexia, who had never owned her own car before.

The damages, he assured her, would be payed for by a certain Palestinian friend of his.

"He, uh, kind of a shady dude, but he get shit done, homie. Don't even trip."

Deciding to take Lamar's word, the three grabbed a ride in JB's rusty old tow truck. Lamar sat in the front, while Alexia rode in her totaled car as it was being practically dragged along the asphalt. The ride to her apartment was bumpy, so to speak, and she prayed that the vessel she was riding in wouldn't break apart as it was being towed.

Stopping in front of the luxury Pillbox Hill apartment complex, Alexia waved at the two men as they rode off into the night, the undercarriage of her car continuing to spark along the black asphalt.

Without hesitation, Alexia turned the key to her suite and stepped inside; However, she was quite unprepared for just what awaited her on the other side of the door.

As soon as Alexia turned on the lightswitch, both her jaw and her grip on the suitcase that she had been lugging behind her instantaneously dropped. For a few moments, she stood in the entranceway, unsure of just how to take it all in; every single inch of the 2,500 square foot living space was polished and outfitted with the highest luxury available. A glass-plated column fireplace sat next to the modern kitchen, which sported such commodities as an island bar (complete with 25 different wines) and an instant cappuccino maker. To the right of the kitchen was the living/TV area, which had an all-white sofa arranged around a glass coffee table, with a wondrous view of a 55-inch plasma TV, as well as two wall-size bay windows that showcased the Los Santos cityscape that Alexia loved so much.

After taking a few minutes to catch her breath and assure herself that this wasn't some sort of a dream or sick prank, Alexia cautiously stepped forward, so unfamiliar with this type of high-style living that she was quite fearful of unintentionally messing something up or breaking some sort of appliance.

As she painstakingly made her way down the 3 or so steps that connected the entrance to the main living space, her gaze turned toward a sizable telescope, standing on a tripod, that was situated near one of the gigantic windows. Curious about its capabilities, she began to take precarious baby steps toward its location, all the while sweating profusely and looking around at all the oh-so-expensive objects in the room.

Simply put, Alexia felt greatly intimidated by all of this. She had never seen such a display of wealth in her life, and she did not think that she ever would until now. As she inched closer and closer to the telescope, she began to think of all of the times her family had run out of hot water or electricity, as well as the times that various forms of wildlife had managed to scurry inside and wreak havoc inside the densely-packed living space. No longer having to deal with these country inconveniences was enough to elate her steps slightly and allow her to reach the telescope within a couple of minutes.

Alexia took a few seconds to garner some form of courage, then bent down so that she could see through the telescope's eyepiece.

 _"...Holy amazeballs,"_ Alexia whispered in awe after looking in silent amazement for a while. She was, in fact, so inspired by what she saw that curiosity eventually overtook prudence, causing her to adjust the telescope's focuser and move it around on its tripod.

The man-made world outside, which she thought of as amazing beforehand, was now thrust into a higher clarity than she could have ever imagined it would be. Office buildings, as well as the few people that occupied them at this time, were becoming more and more visible as she turned the knob at the bottom of the eyepiece. Despite the abundant light pollution, a few stars were even visible at this level of magnification. In the distance, an Atomic Tires blimp circled the skies above the nearby ghetto.

Alexia now proudly grinned as she stepped back to admire the beautiful nighttime lights as a whole. Then, she turned and gazed at the various high-end commodities of the apartment...or rather, _her_ apartment. Realizing this filled Alexia with an air of confidence and self-satisfaction that she hadn't felt since she was a small child. Here, in this city full of opportunity, the sky was the limit, especially with her many criminal connections and this wondrous homebase from which she had plenty of space and resources to execute her various future plans and schemes.

At this moment, she blissfully forgot all of the anxiety and tension that came with moving into a new place and jumped high in the air, celebrating her newfound success in life. She then removed her black hoodie, beanie cap, and red converse shoes so that she could safely dive onto the snow-white sofa without staining it. She buried her head in one of the cloud-like red pillows and grabbed the remote off of the coffee table, using it to flicker the humongous TV to life.

To Alexia's dismay, however, there were but 2 TV channels to choose from in Los Santos; one that played cartoons and another that played only live-action shows. At the moment, a program called "The Underbelly of Paradise" was on, which showcased the abundant criminal activity in Los Santos.

 _"Now, all of the gangs that we have talked about so far are...pretty dangerous,"_ informed the host, FIB agent Steve Haines, whom Alexia admittedly found quite handsome. _"But none of them are quite as dangerous...as the Black Skulls. Consisting of the city's most deadly escaped murderers and lunatics, these psychopaths are by far the most deadly crew in Los Santos. In their 10-year reign over the city, they are said to have killed over 30,000 people...and counting. In fact, their leader, a man known as 'Remus Knight', is currently the fourth-most wanted man alive...according to the FIB. A $10 million reward is out for this sick bastard's head. If any of you know his..."_

At that exact moment, the phone rang, and Alexia hurriedly tiptoed over, barefooted, to see who had the audacity to call her at 3:00 A.M.

Sure enough, the caller I.D. revealed it to be the very "sick bastard" that they were deriding on national TV at the moment...her uncle. Alexia had been dreading this moment, as she was still unaware of his opinions on the street race that had occurred two hours or so ago, but as the phone rang for a third time, she had no choice but to pick it up and and face the potentially-unpleasant music.

"Uncle Remus!" she greeted cheerily. "H-hey!"

 _"Hello, Alexia,"_ replied a distinguished, surprisingly-kind voice that bore an uncanny resemblance to that of John de Lancie. _"Are you enjoying your apartment so far?"_

"Oh yeah, yeah, i-it's awesome. God, I...I can't thank you enough for being this nice to me, uncle. This is so, like...like..." Alexia stuttered, not knowing how to address this exact magnitude of sincerity.

 _"Well, of course I treat you well, Alexia. You're family...my niece. I just want you to be comfortable. I know, it's...hard adjusting to a new place."_

"It hasn't been too bad so far," Alexia reassured him as she strolled to the window, taking yet another gander at the L.S. skyline. "I've, um, made a few connections and friends and-"

 _"Oh, so you didn't lose too much respect after you lost that race?"_

As soon as her uncle said those words, Alexia clammed up; her palms grew sweaty, and she struggled to hold onto the phone in her bandaged hand. She didn't think he'd know the outcome of the race this early, and she wondered if all the niceties and such were just a prelude to the angry outburst that she was wholly expecting.

Nonetheless, Alexia nervously gulped and replied, "No...In fact I...kinda gained some respect since, like...it was a really, really close race, uncle."

 _"Yes, yes, I know. I, um, apologize for not being there in person, but don't worry. I was watching you the_ _ **entire**_ _time."_

"Oh...really?" Alexia replied, nervously. "...H-how?"

 _"Truth be told, I...installed cameras in each car,"_ revealed Uncle Remus. He even chuckled briefly, which Alexia had literally never heard him do before. _"Come on, I would never miss my niece's very first illegal street race."_

"Wow," exclaimed Alexia, laughing a little herself. "I...would've never guessed."

An uncomfortable silence took over for a few seconds, during which Alexia grew more and more anxious about what her uncle truly felt about her disappointing loss, as well as his uncharacteristically courteous tone.

"So, um..." Alexia spoke up, breaking the lull in the conversation. "You're not...disappointed in me for losing, are you?"

 _"Well..."_ Alexia could hear her uncle let out a heavy sigh. _"I certainly would've preferred a victory...but all the same, it was your very first street race. And, like you said, it's not like you were embarrassed or anything, you put up quite a good fight, and I believe that only a Knight could fight that hard for what they wanted...I'm proud of you, Alexia."_

Alexia lit up with glee at this stunning reveal; not only was he not fuming with rage, as she had expected, but he was, in fact...proud of her. This was yet another thing that she did not believe her normally-stoic and unfeeling uncle to be capable of.

 _"Listen, um..."_ he interjected before Alexia could thank him for his kind words. _"I'd love to chat some more and catch up, but I'm quite busy at the moment...Why don't you get some rest? I expect Gerald to have some work for you in the morning, and I know you must be quite tired."_

"Yeah...yeah, that's true...Bye, uncle R."

 _"Talk to you soon, Lexi-Bug,"_ he said with scant traces of, perhaps, a faint smile in his speech, before hanging up the phone.

This departing message left Alexia even more stunned, as he had not addressed her as 'Lexi-Bug' since she was in kindergarten. Overall satisfied with how the post-race conversation had gone, Alexia skipped across her apartment to where her suitcase was still lying in the entranceway. She promptly picked it up, closed and locked the door to her luxurious abode, then struggled to drag the 50-pound behemoth of clothes, family pictures, bathroom products, etc. down the stairs and into the bedroom area.

Far too tired to unpack and enjoy the luxury of this room, she quickly made her way to the bathroom to remove her makeup (as well as some crusted dried blood around her nose), then changed into a simple tank top and shorts so that she could finally collapse onto her fully-outfitted queen-sized bed.

Upon lying down, she quickly felt herself dissolving into the mysterious-yet-comforting mists of sleepytime; the mattress was made of a fluffy memory foam material, making resistance utterly futile as she was slowly enveloped into the warmth and comfort of this miniature universe, which was centered around nothing but her, snuggled up in the covers like a soft, comfy burrito.

After the most physically and mentally-exhausting day of Alexia's life, she was finally free to relax and be left alone with her thoughts, dreams, and three layers of cotton blankets.


	5. Shoots, Ladders, EXPLOSIONS, POPCORN!

_Bang!_

The formerly-comfortable girl under the covers was stirred wide awake by this sudden loud noise that seemed to originate from somewhere outside. Sitting up in bed, she quickly glanced around her bedroom, scanning for anything suspicious in the many shadowed corners of the large sleeping area.

Dismissing it as common city commotion, Alexia snuggled back up under her protective layer of blankets and prepared to catch up on some more rest.

 _Bang! BANG!_

This time, the noises, which Alexia had deduced as gunshots, were accompanied by what sounded like several high-pitched police sirens.

Not long afterward, several of these pops, cracks, and booms were now audible to Alexia. Using her extensive knowledge of weaponry, she deduced some of these weapons as high-class AP Pistols, Combat MG rifles, carbine rifles, and assault shotguns. She thought this rather strange, as weapons of this caliber were not standard-carry for police officers, and were otherwise very hard to obtain without dabbling in the black market.

 _"YOU'RE GOING DOWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNN!"_ yelled an incredibly-obnoxious manly voice over the multiple rounds going off in the night air.

Realizing that sleep was virtually impossible at this point, Alexia instead decided to lie back in bed with a grumpy look on her face, waiting impatiently for either the LSPD or the psychopath outside to emerge as victorious.

 _"Shieeetttdiiiiick! Ya' hear me...shitdick?!"_

 _ **BOOOOOOOOM!**_

Shockwaves from the explosion were enough to make the entire apartment building shake, and to eject Alexia from her comfy bed. In a state of panic, she wriggled desperately on the hardwood floor to free herself from the cocoon of blankets and sheets that she had wrapped herself in.

Once her legs were sufficiently out of the blanket burrito, she bolted upstairs, fearing that she might be next on the maniac outside's kill list.

Through the wall-size windows on the other side of the upstairs portion of the apartment, she witnessed not one, not two...but _five_ LSPD helicopters zooming past, snipers and machine gunners at the ready on the sides of each one to hopefully catch and kill the total dickhead that had ruined her good night's sleep.

Glancing at the clock on her cable box, she noticed that it was 5:15 A.M.

"...SERIOUSLY?!"

She screamed out loud in the stillness that had inexplicably settled in. All of the cruisers, NOOSE agents, etc., had since hightailed it after the mass-murderer/pyromaniac.

Realizing this and remembering what her mother had told her about talking to herself, Alexia sighed and muttered under her breath.

 _"Well...at least I got 2 hours of sleep...to think, just yesterday, I was woken up by a friggen_ _ROOSTER!_ "

Growling at the fact that it was impossible for her to fall back asleep after waking up prematurely, she instead utilized the wondrous technology of her instant cappuccino maker to make a nice, frothy mocha, with 3 whole shots of espresso. This would hopefully force her eyes to remain open for at least a few hours, just until she finished the job that Gerald had in mind for her.

For now, however, she was content with stretching out on her L-shaped white couch and watching Weazel News coverage of the apparent terrorist attack by a man with a fox mask, multiple arm tattoos, and an invisible torso that had already killed 250 police officers and 600 civilians. Still mindful of how immensely expensive this type of furniture must have been, she opted to keep her cup of coffee on the other side of her glass coffee table. Whenever she felt like she needed a sip of the rejuvenating mixture, she would have to stand up and moved to the side furthest from the couch, close to the TV. She took these precautions because she did not wish to disrespect this comfy sofa (and by extension, her uncle) by permanently scarring it with a coffee stain.

After a few minutes of rest and relaxation, Alexia received a much-expected text; she eagerly turned on her phone and read Gerald's description of the job he wanted done.

 _"Hey girl, I think I just got hold of some work for you. There's a deal goin on down under the Olympic Freeway (not too far from your house). Now, you can do this alone or with some friends or whatever, but basically, you would just go down there, bust off some caps, do whatever you gotta do, then bring the stuff back to my apartment in Strawberry (Apartment #6). And when your done, keep ur fucking mouth shut about me, you hear?" -G._

"Ooh, a drug deal?!" Alexia cried out loud, elated at this prospect. "Just like in my dreams...I-I gotta get ready!"

Alexia bolted downstairs with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning so that she could prepare to perform her very first professional criminal act (relatively speaking).

She quickly showered, then changed out the linen bandages on her hands, making sure to wash her wounded extremities properly with soap and water to ward off infection.

Next, she took the time to dress head-to-toe in black, both to look intimidating and to represent her crew. From the suitcase that she had not yet unpacked, she picked out some charcoal-black combat boots with some black skinny jeans, a black tank top, an open black leather jacket, and some slim, black-rimmed glasses. Lastly, she made sure to carry with her a jet-black skull mask, which her uncle had insisted that she buy from a local Halloween store before heading off to Los Santos. This mask was standard-carry for all Black Skulls and had to be worn whenever illegal work or violence was being performed by a member. This was both to conceal peoples' identities and to let whomever was being attacked know that they had messed with the wrong crew.

"Wow, look at you," admired Alexia, who was busy gawking at herself in the bathroom mirror.

"You know what you look like?"

She raised her pistol in the air, remembering to turn the safety on before aiming the weapon at her reflection in the mirror.

"...You look like a killer...A cold, heartless, killer, with no empathy for other people whatsoever. You are gonna disrupt the steady flow of drugs that moves in and out of this city, and you're gonna do it lookin' SEXY AS HELL, GIRL! LET'S GO!"

Soon after tucking the pistol she had received last night into her back pocket, Alexia was ready to head out the door and into her new life, a life of crime and deception, characterized by a constant mistrust of others and killing indiscriminately (or at least, that's what she thought).

However, an urgent-looking text from her new boss, Uncle Remus, prevented her from doing so.

 _"You're not going out alone, are you?"_ Uncle R texted. _"I wouldn't do that if I were you; you'll get slaughtered by these methed-up gangsters if it's just you and your tiny little pistol. I'm sending you a list of some Black Skulls you can call up and request that they help you out. Send out a mass text or e-mail or something, just make sure you have one or two people to go with you. And whatever you do, DON'T TELL ANYONE OF YOUR RELATION TO ME. That information is strictly between us and a few higher-ranking Skulls (and, uh, Lamar, because he wouldn't stop bugging me about it). Trust me, Alexia, if word got out to, say, the IGN Crew or the Roses of Death about this, a VERY large price will be put on your head, as there already is on mine. Either way, though, just stay safe, and DON'T let me down on this." -Uncle R._

Alexia nodded, her vivid imagination bringing up an unpleasant image of herself being shot and killed in a failed attempt at obtaining the drugs herself, then having her corpse strung up like a piñata by the Mexican gangsters and beaten with sticks by their children while a comical mariachi band played in the background.

Frightened by these images, she moved swiftly to her suitcase to remove her Laptop. She opened her Eyefind account to compose an appropriate e-mail message expressing her desire for help in this job.

"Okay, Alexia, you have to make this sound professional, and tough...here goes..."

 _"Calling all Black Skulls,"_ she typed. _"I'm a bit of a newbie. XD so I need some help with a job. The pay is decent, and it's not too difficult, plus you'll get to cap some effin Ballas & Vagos ;) _*heart Emoji* _-Alexia"_

She tapped the send button, which dropped her message into the inbox of every single person on her uncle's contact list.

"M'kay, now I just wait on any takers...Although, I shouldn't have any trouble with-"

 **French Narrator from Spongebob: Two hours later...**

After refreshing her e-mail for what must have been the 555th time, she still did not receive an awaited notification indicating a new message sent to her inbox. The longer she waited, the more her anger and annoyance grew at these people, whom she could not believe had turned down her offer of easy work and money.

After some more grating thumb-twiddling, Alexia finally received a message, which stated:

 _"sure i'll help, i'm goin out clubbing tonite, i need some cash bruh._ *laughing, cigarette, and beer Emojis* _where u wanna meet up, me an my bf gon help you out girl"_

Squealing with glee in real life, Alexia quickly typed her contact information and sent it to this unknown person.

Within another 5 minutes or so, the doorbell to her apartment buzzed.

Alexia jumped up from her seat and rushed to the door. The excited aspiring criminal ended up tripping over her own feet in the process, but she quickly recovered to welcome in her new guest.

"Hey, girl! My name's Jessamine, but you can call me Jess!"

The taller woman greeted Alexia with a wide, tooth-baring smile and a glint of mischievous enthusiasm reflected through sky-blue eyes. Locks of golden blonde hair bounced on her shoulders and cascaded in elongated waves down her back. She had on not combat gear nor a jet-black stealth outfit, but instead a bright, almost neon-green cocktail dress that came down to about her thighs.

Taken aback by this strange girl's uncouth appearance, it took Alexia a few moments to respond to her friendly greeting.

"Oh, um...hi. Uh...I'm Alexia," responded the woman in all black, smiling at her, but blushing because of her perceived social error.

"Aww!" she laughed at the cute, stammering girl in front of her. "You're so shy, I love it!"

Without warning, Jessamine immediately embraced the woman she had just met in a tight, constricting hug.

Rapidly running out of oxygen due to Jessamine's death grip, Alexia had no choice but to try and hug her back in the hope that she'd mercifully release her.

"Curtis!" Jessamine shouted into the adjacent hallway. "CURTIS! Come say hi to the nice lady!"

Only at this point did she let her go; Alexia took this reprieve to hold onto the nearest wall and gasp desperately for breath.

Suddenly, she pulled from the hallway a skinny, disheveled man, who looked rather insignificant compared to the beautiful woman next to him. His attire of a wifebeater and pajama pants and the few hairs that dotted his chin further added to the feeling that Jessamine could have chosen someone much better as her boyfriend.

"Curtis, say hi to Alexia," she attempted at whispering into his ear, but the natural volume of her voice made it so that Alexia could hear her perfectly.

"Sup?" he halfheartedly greeted before attempting to strike up a blunt right then and there in the hallway. This was quickly snatched away by Jessamine and broken in half, leaving Curtis with a look of dismay.

"Um...why don't you two come in? We can just...chill for a bit until we go."

The couple stepped inside, marveling at all the expensive objects and utilities in Alexia's homebase.

"WHOA! This is nice, girl! How'd you get this place as a newbie?"

"Well, um..." Alexia started, before remembering her uncle's carefully-worded warning.

After all, this woman did seem to be a little...odd. Since she had opened the door to let the two in, Jessamine's smile had continued to retain a creepily enthusiastic smile. Her boyfriend, meanwhile, was mulling about the apartment, staring into space and looking very uninterested. These people didn't quite seem like the kind she could trust with her confidential information.

"Uh...my grandpa...died. I...inherited everything."

"Aww. I'm so sorry,"

Jessamine's smile finally dissipated upon hearing of this bit of tragic made-up information.

"I...I probably shouldn't have asked, I-"

"HOLY TRIPPIN BALLS!" exclaimed Curtis from behind the two women. Startled, Alexia turned to look at him as he pointed to a large, pearlescent object on a nearby table.

"Dude! You have pot?!"

Examining the object closer, Alexia did realize that it was indeed a large marijuana bong, filled with high-quality grass. A black lighter, dotted with miniature skulls, sat nearby.

"Oh, um...yeah. I guess I do," said Alexia, giggling at the sight. "I didn't notice that there. I guess it was...also...my grandpa's."

"Ohh, baby. Come to papa-"

"CURTIS!"Jessamine interjected, swatting his hand away from the metallic drug paraphernalia. "What'd I tell you about doing drugs on the job?"

"...Sorry, babe."

"Just behave yourself, okay?" Jessamine continued scolding, but much more softly. "Or NO sex tonight."

"Um...alright, I think I can manage, if that's my reward," he replied, smirking.

The two smiled at each other.

Then, with no provocation whatsoever, they started to make out. What made the situation all the more awkward was Jessamine having to stoop down in order to reach her shorter boyfriend's lips.

Alexia turned beet red and looked uncomfortably away as their wet tongues sloshed against each other and the terrible sound of wet, sticky saliva emanated throughout her apartment.

Finally, the two lovers separated and turned to face the owner of the apartment that they had just spit-swapped in.

"Hey, Alexia, you think we could...partake of this later?" Jess asked her, raising an eyebrow for special effect. "Y'know, me, you, and this little fella?"

"Um, just you two is fine, I'm not...I don't do that kinda stuff."

Alexia attempted to drain the red color from her cheeks through sheer willpower, but she soon realized she was nigh incapable of such a feat.

"Ohh my God! Alexia, you are SO CUTE!"

She barely had enough time to react as Jessamine wrapped her arms around Alexia's midsection and picked her up off of the ground, swinging her around a couple of times. Alexia desperately struggled to free herself, but it was no use to try and escape from this woman's strong, crushing bear hug.

"I've never met anyone so shy and innocent in my whole life! My God, it's-it's just the most adorable thing ever! I love you, cute shy girl!"

 _"I..."_ Alexia could barely manage to let out a high-pitched whisper due to the lack of air flow to her lungs. _"I think I just... broke my fourth rib."_

Soon enough, Jess graciously dropped the shorter girl to the ground. Alexia stumbled for a bit before she could grab onto a nearby wall to steady herself.

After taking in a few deep breaths of precious, life-giving air, she turned back towards her two partners in crime.

"Okay, um...we should probably go, they're not gonna be at this deal all day," Alexia attempted to laugh, despite the persistent pain in her abdomen.

"I, uh, concur."

Curtis proceeded to slap his girlfriend's behind, which only resulted in a sly, deviant smile directed towards him.

"Once we get done with this thing, we gotta get ready for the party tonight, babe."

"Oooh, yeah!" Jess suddenly perked up, as if she had an idea of some sort. "Alexia, you wanna go with us? I mean, I know you're not really the party type, but trust me, you'll have fun!"

"Let's, um...let's just focus on work for now," Alexia kindly interjected. "We can talk about evening plans after the job is done."

"Yeah, good idea...I like your attitude, Alexia, I think you'd make a great leader," Jess complimented, winking at her.

Alexia smiled brightly. Even though this girl had no idea of her paternal lineage to the actual leader of the crew, Jess still complimented her in this area. Needless to say, her self-esteem and confidence were boosted once again.

"Oh, for sure," added Curtis as the trio made their way down the hallway and into the elevator. "Who's, uh...the crew leader now, anyways?"

"It's still that guy. Y'know, the really strict guy that wears an all-black suit and a skull mask, like, ALL THE TIME?"

"Oh yeah, that guy's really weird. I heard he hasn't been out of his apartment in, like, 5 years, or something."

"And did you hear that he's also, like, a torturer? I heard of this Skull who, I dunno, said something that upset him, so he just went and captured, tortured him, then he FUCKING CUT OFF ALL HIS FINGERS."

"Dude..." Curtis, even through his stoned gaze, showed a clear look of repulsion.

"THAT'S INSANE, MAN! I mean, Alexia's such a kind and gentle soul, she would never do something so horrendous, would you, girl?"

Alexia took a second to respond to Jess's question.

She was forced to take a minute to comprehend how Curtis and Jess had just unabashedly trashed her uncle, their leader and the provider of their paychecks. Both of them seemed to have an abysmally low amount of respect for their reclusive, yet-powerful leader. They seemed to be not even aware of his name.

Clearing her throat and pretending to laugh, she said, "Well, um...it'd have to be something really, REALLY bad, like, an assassination threat...or something."

"Yeah, um...I could respect that. That makes sense," said Jessamine, smiling. Curtis was quick to agree with his girlfriend.

There was not much more talk after that. As the three loaded into Jessamine's expensive-looking Obey Tailgater, their minds were now focused more on work than anything. The spot where the deal was occurring, a dark, dirty underpass under the Olympic Freeway, sat a mere 30 seconds from Alexia's house (if Jess's erratic driving was factored in), so there really was no more time for pointless small talk; instead, the all-too-familiar sounds of hammers clicking, magazines being loaded, and the dull roar of the sports sedan's engine from within its leather-padded interior filled the pre-combat atmosphere.

Alexia was especially nervous as she loaded the 9mm that Lamar had given to her last night. While she was sure that her two experienced and well-armed teammates would be there to help if something went horribly awry, the dreadful feeling of uncertainty that came with any unfamiliar situation. Flash-forwards of potential screw-ups and worst possible outcomes raced through her mind at high velocity. She perspired greatly, despite the car's A/C being turned all the way up.

Finally, the car successfully hopped a curb opposite the meeting point; a couple of guards were stationed near the entrance, weapons in hand.

"Wait...we're not attacking _this_ spot, are we?" asked Curtis.

"Uh...yeah. I'm pretty sure."

Alexia confirmed Curtis' suspicions as she performed a final inspection of her 9mm.

"But dudes...this is my dealer, man! He-he sells the best shit in the city! I can't lose him!"

"Curtis, you know you gotta get off the stuff anyway," said Jessamine as she finished loading her micro-submachine gun. "Trust me, this'll be good for you."

"Babe, I can't-!"

"THINK OF THE SEXX!" Jessamine screamed at the top of her lungs.

Alexia immediately ducked down in her seat, as she was certain that the Vagos gang members stationed outside had heard Jess's shrill scream through the open driver's-side window.

Peeking one eye open, she saw that the gang members did not seem to be engaged in combat mode; in fact, one had leaned his assault rifle up against a nearby wall and was playing a game on his iFruit phone.

Curtis sighed dejectedly, having to make a difficult choice between his two main life sources: drugs, and the sublime intercourse that Jess regularly provided him.

"Okay. But...can you just lemme get one last hit? I'll come back to you when I'm done, and...we'll do this thing."

Jess looked at Alexia for some sort of approval; she simply shrugged, seeing no harm in this simple compromise.

"Okay...go ahead, my little junkie."

Jess playfully rubbed Curtis's shaggy head of hair and sent him off into the alleyway.

To the girls' surprise, however, as soon as he was within earshot, he started talking to the guards posted outside.

"Um...what's he doing?" questioned Alexia, an obvious edge of worry in her voice.

"I...think he knows these guys, too? I'm sure he's just-"

Before they knew it, both the Chicano guards and Curtis had their weapons drawn, loaded, and aimed directly at the two women sitting in the car.

"ALEXIA, GET DOWN!"

Right before the first bullet shattered the window nearest to her, Jessamine shoved Alexia's head down into the seat, effectively saving her life.

Jessamine likewise ducked and crawled out of the passenger seat so that she could help Alexia to crawl across the floor of the car and get into cover on the other side, opposite the people firing at them.

At this point, Alexia was wide-eyed and hyperventilating; she had just experienced a very near brush with death that had caught her extremely off guard. Not helping her anxiety was the sound of hundreds of bullets striking the vehicle and shattering various windows and appliances.

"Alexia!" shouted Jessamine over the hail of bullets flying. "Alexia, can you hear me?!"

Jess shook Alexia by her shoulders violently until she overcame her state of shock and snapped back to reality. She acknowledged the other woman's presence by lolling her head to the side and staring into Jessamine's sky-blue eyes.

"That's more like it," she grinned at Alexia. "Don't worry, girl. We'll get through this, you and me! C'mon!"

Aiming to make good on that promise, she reached back into the car and pulled out her mini-machine gun. Barely peeking above the hood of the car (just enough so that she could see her attackers), Jessamine began firing, spurts of rapidly-charged bullets racing from the barrel and hopefully into a Mexican gangster or ex-boyfriend's artery. As she had learned from experience, Jess was sure to alternate between ducking under cover and firing, sometimes resorting to just sticking her hand out and shooting blindly, but always in the general direction of the gangsters.

 _ **"Vamos, amigos! Perras quieren una pelea!"**_

About 5 more gangsters, including some purple-clad African Americans and yellow Hispanic men, came charging out of the alleyway and discharged their rounds into the Obey Tailgater as well.

By this point, Alexia had picked up her pistol and started shooting, albeit with more carefully-placed shots than her friend, as she had only a few rounds to spare.

So far, her only remarkable accomplishment, after 10 shots fired, was shooting a Vagos gang member in the knee, which only resulted in him being dragged from the battlefield by a friendly Balla. In her mind, she had imagined this scenario as being more like the familiarity of hunting, where she had time to line up her shots without having to duck down constantly due to flying artillery.

"CURTIS, YOU DICK!" Jessamine yelled at her ex-boyfriend as she fired off another series of bullets in his direction.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I...SORTA DID ALL THOSE PERVERTED THINGS WITH YOU, YA' JERKWAD!"

"C'mon, babe, you know you enjoyed it!" Alexia heard Curtis yell as bullet fragments continued to strike the hood of the car. "And besides, you know drugs are more important! I only got one good dealer, and there are probably thousands of hoes like you in this city!"

Jessamine gasped. Alexia turned to look at her, and was surprised at the fact that she appeared genuinely hurt and offended by Curtis's snide insult.

Nonetheless, she sniffled away her sadness and looked at Alexia, putting her finger over her mouth and pretending to shush her. This was to signal to not act suspiciously as she pulled something out of her purse.

To Alexia's utter horror, Jess had extracted not another gun, but a fully-functioning grenade. As much as she wanted to question her friend, she knew that the Ballas and Vagos could not know that they were planning something like this, so she instead continued blasting at the gang members who were continuing to berate Jess's car with bullet fragments.

Suddenly, Alexia heard something; a groaning/screaming noise, as if someone was experiencing horrific pain. She cautiously peeked out of the back of the car to see a Ballas gang member, curled up on the side of the road, bleeding profusely out of his neck. She had figured that the bullet... _her_ bullet...had struck none other than this poor man's jugular vein, sending a gory fountain of blood gushing out of his neck. As the man lay dying on the concrete, a couple of his fellow gang members temporarily dropped their weapons and rushed to his side, attempting to drag him to a safer spot while a few of their friends covered them.

Within 20 seconds or so, however, Alexia saw that the man had went limp and obviously died. One of his friends despairingly buried his head into the man's motionless chest and screamed into it, while the other looked away, covering his face and sobbing.

Alexia, having for the first time ended the life of another living, breathing human being, regardless of affiliation or culture, looked down at her own hands (and in turn the weapon that she had used to do the deed) in disbelief and dreamlike shock. Her emotions ran rampant, leaving her unsure of how to think of this man she did not know, whom she had just mercilessly killed. She had just effectively committed the ultimate sin. What she had done could be grounds for a possible death-penalty case against her if she was ever caught by the police. Upon her execution by the state of San Andreas, this would also be evidence as to her denial to the Kingdom of Heaven, which she had lived her whole life striving to gain entrance to.

What Alexia saw as a tragedy, however, Jessamine saw as a grand opportunity; as the gang members crowded around their fallen comrade and the constant barrage of gunfire lessened somewhat, Jess pulled the pin on the grenade and discreetly tossed it while they weren't looking.

Alexia could see her new friend cackling maniacally, but trying her best to hold it in so that they wouldn't notice the frag that was sitting like a lurking cougar right behind them. She signaled for Alexia to cover her ears, which she gladly did.

"HEY, GUYS! LOOK OUT, THERE'S A-!"

The resulting explosion, while a good 10 yards away, was enough to knock Alexia out of her crouching position; she spilled onto the hard concrete, hands still covering her eardrums from almost-certain destruction.

Alexia looked up, once echoes of the explosion off the underpass walls died down, to see a rather gruesome sight laid out in front of her. Various body parts and charred remains littered the sidewalk and the road. A blackened arm had been dropped onto the roof of Jess's car, muscles exposed and still gripping what appeared to be a few burnt hundred-dollar bills . A headless corpse had been shoved up against a fence and was lying in a sitting position, leaning against the concrete wall. Human viscera and internal organs were scattered about the roadway, most of which were still black and smoldering.

"HAHAHAAA!"

Jessamine emerged from her cover position and pumped her fists in victory.

"THAT'S HOW THE BLACK SKULLS DO IT, BABY!"

"Um...speaking of Black Skulls..." Alexia reached into the bullet-riddled car and grabbed her prized black skull mask.

"Oh-oh yeah. Man...I always forget that," she said, laughing at her error.

Jessamine pulled out her own charcoal-colored skull mask that covered her entire head. Once the mask was on over her head, she turned to her friend, whose own skull mask covered only her face.

 _"Okey dokey,"_ Jessamine's muffled voice sounded from behind her disguise. _"Let's go claim our drugs."_

Weapons raised in the air, in case a rogue gangster had somehow survived the explosion, the two women made their way across the street and over to the entrance of the dark, dingy alleyway, whose normally-immense homeless population had since scattered in fear due to the sound of gunfire and explosions.

Before entering, they were quick to spot Jessamine's ex-boyfriend, lying in a pool of blood. He was missing both legs and a rather large chunk of an arm. The dying man coughed up a few pints of blood as the two women sauntered up to him, obviously emphasizing their victory.

"T...t-tis..."

Curtis shivered because of the immense blood loss resulting from a triple amputation.

 _"What the fuck are you talking about?!"_ demanded Jessamine, pointing her weapon at Curtis' head; Alexia proceeded to do the same.

"Tis...tis but a flesh wound."

Curtis finally put the words together. He even managed a smile, despite the excruciating pain that he must have been feeling.

Jessamine attempted to stop the laughter at first, but she eventually dropped her weapon and fell chuckling to the ground, her fist pounding into the concrete in a futile attempt to make it stop.

Alexia, meanwhile, saw right through Curtis' guise to buy some time (perhaps for the drugs to escape someplace else). She quickly stepped up in Jess's place and shot the traitor from close-range, right in between the eyes. His pupils rolled back into the back of his head before he let out one last heaving breath.

Jess was still laughing on the ground, amidst all of the bodies, and not showing any signs of calming down. Alexia quickly hauled the hysterical woman to her feet and attempted to snap her back into the right mindset.

 _"JESS! C'MON, WE GOTTA GO!"_

 _"D...did you...I know he was a dickhead and everything, but...I love Monty Python! THOSE WERE THE LITERAL BEST LAST WORDS EVER!"_

She nearly collapsed again due to laughter, brought on by the dead man's all-too-appropriate movie reference. Alexia struggled to hold the taller, heavier woman up by her armpits.

 _"Yeah-yeah-yeah, we can laugh about it when we're done here, okay? Let's just get this stuff."_

 _"Okay...okay, I think I...okay."_

Jessamine eventually regained enough composure to operate the flashlight on her gun, leading them through the pitch-blackness of the underpass. After searching the corners of the narrow tunnel and the surrounding hobo camp for cocaine and/or surviving gang members, Alexia and Jessamine were soon forced to pronounce this area clean of the drugs they were after.

 _"I-I don't understand..."_

Alexia kicked over the nearest rusty shopping cart in frustration.

 _"WHERE ARE THE FUCKING DRUGS?!"_

 _"Hmm...I think that gentleman over there might be able to tell us."_

Looking over in the direction Jessamine was pointing, she witnessed a sprinting Mexican gangster, dressed all in yellow, running across the heavy Los Santos traffic and carrying what appeared to be a wrapped package.

 _"Yeah, that might be it! Let's GO, let's get in the car!"_

In the location of what once was a fast luxury sports sedan, Alexia saw instead a heap of artillery-stained metal with a smoking engine and 2 flat tires.

 _"Yeahh, we ain't chasing shit in that thing...We gon' have to run fo' it,"_ said Jessamine in her best funny ghetto/Southern black accent.

 _"Ohh, good grief, this day has just not been..."_

Alexia cupped her skull-covered face in her hands and sighed heavily.

 _"Let-let's just do this."_

The two women likewise bolted out from underpass and towards the general area where they saw the drug mule headed. The continual rush of traffic across the highway was briefly interrupted by their mad dash across the road, causing about 20 horns to go off at once.

Undeterred, the two eventually caught up with the sprinting gangster. In their haste, they attempted to fire a few shots at him, but all missed, which only caused him to run even faster down the alleyway.

Alexia, meanwhile, could feel herself gradually tiring out. Running was hard enough for her as it was, but the overbearing burden of running in skinny jeans, all-black clothes, and a stuffy black mask was almost enough to make her stumble and fall to the asphalt, but not before Jess proactively grabbed her hand and helped her along.

 _"Hang in there, Alexia! We've almost got him!"_

Eventually, after even more tiresome running, the Vagos gangster was finally trapped, and in the most cliche of ways; he had ran down an alley that had led only to a brick wall, with no way out.

 _"HANDS IN THE FUCKING AIR! RIGHT NOW!"_

Alexia screamed in an uncharacteristically ragged voice as she pointed her pistol directly at his head. She was hunched over due to the powerful burning sensation in her lungs, and she was desperately trying to suck in air through her suffocating rubber mask.

Thankfully, though, the equally-worn out gangster followed Alexia's command and raised his hands sky-high. Jessamine quickly went over and swiped the drugs out of the man's outstretched right hand so that her friend could catch some rest for a bit.

 _"There ya' go,"_ she taunted him in a playful voice, as if she was talking to a pet or toddler. _"That'sh a good boy!"_

To Alexia's surprise, Jessamine then brutally whacked the man with her gun. A sickening crack followed as the hunk of metal impacted his skull. The man's legs buckled underneath him, and he fell like a sack of potatoes to the concrete.

Jess then then cocked her machine gun, aiming at the defenseless gangster's head.

 _"WHOA-WHOA-WHOA!"_ halted Alexia. _"What are you doing, Jess?! He just gave us the drugs!"_

 _"Yeah, but we can't leave witnesses, Lexi! You know that! Especially since we had our faces uncovered half of the time! We just can't risk it!"_

"No no no, por favor sen-"

 _"SHUT UP!"_

Jessamine kicked the man in the stomach, sending him tumbling and lying on his back on the concrete.

The man coughed up some blood and detritus before urgently saying to the woman wanting to kill him:

"Mi familia...mi-mi familia es...muy grande."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out not a weapon, but a wallet, with many pictures in it. They seemed to show several Hispanic children, as well as people that looked like his parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

Looking over him further, Alexia came to notice that this was no man, but rather an older teenager with a close black crew cut and a wispy black mustache.

"Tengo...nueve hermanos...y ocho hermanas. Yo soy el mayor, y también me ofrezco dinero. Mis parientes mayores son demasiado viejo y enfermo para trabajar. Sin mí ...van a morir de hambre."

 _"Um...okay, what the hell is this guy saying?"_ demanded Jessamine, still not diverting her weapon from his head.

" _He says..."_

With what little Spanish she knew from high school (where she had been a straight-A student before her expulsion), Alexia was able to piece together the GIST of what he was trying to desperately communicate with them.

 _"...He says that he provides all the money for his family...his parents and older relatives are all too sick to work, so without him...they'll die..."_

 _"Aw, geez..."_

Jess temporarily lowered her gaze, but was still reluctant to lower her gun.

 _"...We have to let him go, don't we?"_

 _"I'm afraid so...I just...I couldn't live with myself, Jess. I mean, aside from what I've done already today, this would...this would just be too much."_

With that being settled, Jessamine finally concealed her weapon so that Alexia could help the man up. A large bruise still remained on the left side of his head, from where he had been pistol-whipped.

Then, she handed the man $300, leftovers from the reward that Lamar had given her last night.

" _Toma esto. Si dices nada de nosotras , te vas a arrepentir . ¿Comprende?"_

"Sí...¡Gracias! ¡Muchas gracias señorita!"

 _"¡Solo vamos! ¡Ahora!"_

Alexia hastily shooed the boy away, and so he went, carrying with him Alexia's gracious cash donation.

Jessamine, grateful for the break in action, immediately lifted off her burdensome mask and sat, near to where the Mexican boy had been lying. Alexia soon did the same, thankful for the wind that was now blowing in their direction. She tried her best to fix her jet-black hair, as part of her bangs were now annoyingly sticking to her face by means of sweat accumulated during the footchase.

"...Do you think we did the right thing, Lexi?" Jessamine asked.

"Hell, I don't know, Jess...Probably. I'm exhausted, let's just get this to Gerald, alright?"

"OH MY GOD, THIS IS FOR GERALD?!"

"Yeah," Alexia confirmed, laughing. "I can't believe I hadn't told you already."

"Aww, I LOVE Gerald! He's so cute and shy. Just like you are! But, uh, all the same...I don't think he likes me very much, so...I'll just kinda hang back, while you do your thing."

"I'm cool with that...Let's get goin'. It's only a couple blocks away."

Even though the job was over and they had successfully claimed their package, the two women proceeded stealthily down the various alleyways and side streets that crisscrossed the ghetto of south-central Los Santos, watching out for any stray Vagos or Ballas that they saw hanging out.

Finally, they reached Gerald's rundown, 40-year-old apartment project, which paled in comparison to Alexia's 100-story luxury suite.

Upon their arrival, Gerald opened his door a crack and looked over at the two disheveled-looking, sweat-drenched women.

"Hey...you told me there were gon' be three of you, Alexia."

"Yeah, um...that didn't work out so good," Alexia explained, smiling sheepishly. "H-he didn't die, he just...betrayed us, then we had to kill him."

"Aw...man, that sucks, I've been there, homie. Uh, you got the...you-know-what?"

Alexia proudly presented the package of crack cocaine to Gerald as if it were the Vince Lombardi Trophy or a wedding ring. He silently took it, and placed a full $2,000 in her hand, with 1 grand to be split between each of them.

"This never happened, got it?" he threatened, his eyes narrowed towards them.

The two women simultaneously agreed before heading out of the apartment building and towards the scene of their crime, where JB's tow truck was waiting to service Jess's car.


	6. Looks Can Kill in the Rockford Hills

JB, for a second time, offered the two girls a lift in his rusty, probably-unsafe tow truck, Jessamine this time taking a seat in the wrecked car; a rather large perk about his services, though, was that he was a drug addict himself, so he didn't tend to ask many questions about why a particular person needed towing, which is why JB was given the honor of 'Official Car-Tower' for the Black Skulls.

Finally, the two women were dropped off at Los Santos Customs. JB creepily oggled Jessamine in particular as he drove off.

"Hey...you're Alexia, right?" asked an Asian man with a buzz cut and an oldschool basketball jersey.

"Yeah...How do you know me?"

"Oh, Lamar was here last night, told me to be lookin' for this chick that was kinda dark and emo-lookin, so...I just guessed," he said, laughing stupidly.

Alexia narrowed her eyes at the man, obviously taking offense to being called an 'emo'.

"Ay, ay, that was Lamar, girl, not me. But, uh, anyway, I got yo' car done, and the expenses have been paid fo'. It's, uh, over there."

The man pointed to a small corner of the cracked pavement and chain-link fencing that made up Los Santos Customs' small lot.

"And uh...the name's Hao, if you two ever wanna have a race or...hook up." Hao was staring intently over Jessamine in particular as he said this.

Alexia and Jessamine walked briskly away from him and towards the newly-painted, completely-fixed-up red Ubermacht Oracle, which shone brightly on the dull concrete it was showcased on.

Finding the key (with the decorative Black Skull keychain still attached), Alexia turned left out of LSC and onto the blacktop, Hao enthusiastically waving them goodbye.

Jessamine sighed in exasperation.

"Alexia...why do you think guys are such jerks?"

"Pfft. Hell if I know," Alexia responded as she navigated the car down the small road adjacent to Los Santos International Airport.

"I mean, SERIOUSLY! You know how many times I was hit on and catcalled, just as I was driving to your apartment this morning?!"

Alexia looked over at her friend as they were stopped at a red light, awaiting an answer from her.

"Ten! At least! And I was WITH my boyfriend! I mean...just because I wear really tight shirts and dresses and I have a redonkulous body, i-it doesn't mean I should be treated as an object, Lexi!"

"Yeah, I hear you," Alexia agreed as she hung a right. "Now you see why I wear dark, concealing clothes most of the time."

"Um...yeah, speaking of that...we gotta get you a freakin' DRESS, girlfriend," Jessamine revealed, smiling at her.

"A...dress?" asked Alexia timidly, almost as if she had never heard of the word. "...Why?"

"For the party! The explosion didn't knock that memory loose, did it?"

"No, no, I...I just thought that because...Curtis-"

"Yeah, I mean, Curtis _was_ my date. But since he's kinda now lying dead under the Olympic Freeway, I dunno...maybe... _you_ can be my date."

Alexia looked at Jess perplexedly, and prepared to carefully and gently tell her that she was not a lesbian.

"I-I mean, not romantically or anything, just...we can go and hang out, have a few beers, dance and talk. It's not gay at all, if that was what you were wondering."

"Oh, so you mean like...a-a girls' night out?"

 **"YEAH!"**

Jess's happy scream effectively blew out Alexia's right eardrum, which caused her to recoil sharply in her seat.

"...Sorry," said Jess, smiling nervously.

It took a good uncomfortable minute or two for the ringing in Alexia's ear to cease. At the moment, her mental impulses were telling her to be angry at her friend. However, not wanting to ruin the new relationship they had just formed, she managed to force herself to hold her temper.

"Yeah, um...I'll go with you. Where do they sell dresses around here?"

"Well, I got mine at Ponsonby-GO LEFT!"

Alexia panicked and cut another car off as she turned left onto a side street. She could hear the other driver honking and cursing at the Oracle as it sped off.

"...Really?!" Alexia snapped at her.

"I'm SO, SO sorry, Lexi-this is the way to Ponsonby's-but like...I just can't help myself, I'm just SO excited that my best friend is going clubbing with me! Especially since I don't really...have that many female friends to hang out with..."

Jessamine sighed and looked out the window as traffic passed by.

Feeling bad because of her outburst, Alexia spoke up.

"Yeah, it's cool, Jess. I can kinda understand that, cause...I really don't have many friends either."

"I have some friends, Lexi...it's just that they're mostly guys. There really aren't that many female Black Skulls. And a good chunk of these guys just end up wanting to hook up with me and gettin all...touchy-feely. I don't want that. I just want someone to, I dunno, just hang out with casually, someone who doesn't try to unclasp my bra when they go and hug me, or slap my butt whenever they say they that there was a bug on it. I just..."

Alexia felt utterly appalled and angered by the contents of Jessamine's short speech. Her uncle had not made her aware of a sexual harassment epidemic in the male-dominated crew, and she was unsure that he was even aware of such gross misconduct by his chosen people. Alexia decided internally to discuss it with him later, as she still couldn't let Jess know that she was related to the crew leader.

"Uh, Ponsonby's is just up here," Jess pointed out, attempting a smile to lighten the mood.

Alexia abruptly turned into a small divot in the concrete, where several high-class cars were currently parked. She put a few quarters in the parking meter and stepped inside the store with her friend.

"Hello, welcome," the older woman at the front desk unenthusiastically greeted the two friends.

They greeted her back, then headed straight for the womens' section of the store, which showcased a whole host of lacy dresses, skirts, earrings, and other forms of high-end jewelry, all of which Alexia stared at in amazement and awe.

Back in South Yankton, Alexia normally purchased all of her clothing from the local thrift/bargain store, and she really could not recall the last time she had even worn a dress. After some thought, she deduced that it was at her third cousin's fourth wedding, a full 15 years ago, when her mother had forced her to be a flower girl, a job which she so desperately hated. Through most of her childhood years, Alexia had been an ardent tomboy, sworn against dresses, Barbies, and virtually everything perceived as 'girly'.

Nowadays, however, Alexia's horizons had drastically broadened. As she inspected the beautiful, silk-patterned fabric before her, she found it increasingly difficult to stop running her hand over the soft, cloud-like material, despite the judging glares of the stern woman behind the front desk.

"...Are you going to _buy_ something, ma'am?"

She jumped as she was suddenly awakened from her dreamlike state. She turned to the Ponsonby's sales clerk and blushed, mumbling a brief apology.

"Alexia, dude..." Jess began; she looked rather excited and anxious to show her friend a particular item that she held behind her back. "I think...that I have found the absolute PERFECT dress for you. I mean, please correct me if I'm wrong, but _doesn't this look so epic?!_ "

Alexia's smile practically lit up the entire store as she was presented with the all-black, sequined gown that came equipped with sleeves, a pair of sequined black gloves, and a decent, non-revealing neckline. Jess also held up a pair of matching black pumps that she had found in the shoe section, on the opposite side of the store.

"I-I mean, it's not indecent or slutty, it's your favorite color...are you sure this wasn't made especially for her, ma'am?" Jessamine directly turned and asked the woman at the front desk.

"No, it wasn't. Really, that dress is for anybody that doesn't want to show skin."

Alexia wordlessly took the dress from her friend, then hightailed it to the nearest changing room, eager to see what she looked like.

Jessamine, who was enthralled by the sight of Alexia being so happy, was stationed at the front entrance with her iFruit phone on Snapmatic mode, her ring finger itching to take a picture once Alexia emerged.

Finally, Alexia stepped out of the changing room, only to be blinded by a white light that suddenly engulfed her eyeballs. She cried out in surprise and desperately rubbed them to remove the hundreds of translucent squiggles that now saturated her vision.

"Oh. Sorry, girl, flash was on-OH MY GOD, YOU LOOK SO AMAZING!"

"R-really?"

She jokingly attempted to mimic a Vinewood celebrity or famous musician as she posed with one hand over her hip and one leg crossed over the other. Jess quickly snapped a picture of this, finding it utterly hilarious. Several storegoers, who were mostly middle-aged women from the nearby Rockford Hills neighborhood, turned their gazes toward the changing rooms due to the sound of Jess's wild laughter and gave the two friends strange, hostile looks.

Observing herself in the mirror, however, Alexia realized that she did indeed look quite sophisticated; the dress came down about 4 or 5 inches above her knees, and despite it not being overly tight, it showed off her ample figure quite nicely. She wore the black gloves on both hands to conceal evidence of the injuries she had sustained the night before. The sleeves were also a nice touch, but they were in fact a part of a shiny, sequin-dotted covering that acted as a drape over the actual sleeveless dress underneath. The sleeveless part, however, was still visible, as the covering left quite a few holes near the top that showed off some bare skin near her shoulders and the very top of her chest. Towards the top, these holes were designed in a crisscrossing floral pattern, one that Alexia came to like as she spun around many times, the soft, angelic black fabric flowing about her legs, for the first time feeling like someone who was beautiful and capable, instead of the shy nervous wreck that she usually was.

"Okay, uh...there's GOTTA be a catch to this or something," Alexia confessed to Jessamine, still smiling giddily at how fantastic she currently looked. "I mean, it's just not possible for a piece of clothing to be this perfect."

Alexia held out her sleeve so that the dress's price tag could be scanned.

"You'd be surprised, my friend. There are many, many dresses out there, and each trip to the store gets you ever closer to the absolutely perfect-"

"That will be $10,950," the front-desk woman interrupted, smiling devilishly.

With those words, Alexia suddenly felt as if her world was tumbling down around her; never in her life had she ever possessed that much money, and even now she had only $1,600 in her account, from doing 2 highly-dangerous jobs.

With her newfound confidence and beauty about to come to a screeching halt, she felt tears about to well up in the corner of her eyes when a bright blue debit card shot out onto the counter. The clerk readily took this and swiped it in the electronic payment device; a green checkmark came up, signalling that the the enormous purchase was approved.

 _"I got you, girlfriend,"_ Jess whispered to Alexia. _"Juuust be sure to pay me back later."_

Alexia readily nodded.

Then, she reached up and hugged Jessamine right in the middle of the store, with about 10 curious onlookers staring at them from the various sections of Ponsonby's. Not really caring who was watching at the moment, Jess put her arm around her friend's shoulders and hugged her back, holding Alexia close to her body.

Several customers 'aww'ed at the adorable scene. Some, like, the front-desk lady, instead scoffed in disgust.

"Okay, save it for the honeymoon, you two. This is a clothing store."

Realizing that people were now garnering the wrong impression entirely, the girls separated, stuttering shyly and attempting in vain to explain that they were not romantically involved. Jess eventually decided to give up trying. She took her debit card and walked out of the store. Alexia followed close behind, her fancy new dress flowing about her legs.

"That was...embarrassing," Alexia admitted as she loaded a bag containing her previous outfit into the Oracle's trunk.

"Yeah. But, uh, speaking of, like, gay people...I happen to know this super excellent, super _gay_ hairstylist, he's just around the corner over there. So, uh...I dunno, since we're here, maybe we should go and get you a new 'doo, Lexi."

"You mean...cut my hair?"

As she said this, Alexia couldn't help but notice the reflection of her face (or rather, what she could see of it through her thick black hair) in the rearview mirror of her car. Her bangs possessed a chopped appearance, but were very long, all but completely concealing her magnificent bluish-green eyes. The back of her head wasn't much better; it was teased completely straight and came down to about her shoulders.

"Oh my God..."

Alexia suddenly came to a frightening realization, one which caused her terrible feelings of anxiety.

"...I've literally had this same emo-ass hairstyle SINCE I WAS 16!"

Jess tried desperately to hold back her laughter at Alexia's sudden epiphany. Instead, it managed to come out as a series of high-pitched pips and squeaks, ones which she simply could not control.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY, JESS! This is a fashion emergency right here! It makes this awesome dress you got me look completely out of place! Well, I'm gonna go down to that homosexual hairstylist, and we'll see just what he can do with this pathetic emo mess on my head!"

Alexia accordingly marched off down the sidewalk, leaving Jess as a crumpled, laughing mess lying down next to the car.

"AND I'M PAYING FOR IT THIS TIME, YOU BEAUTIFUL, GENEROUS SAINT OF A WOMAN!" Alexia shouted at her from across the street.

"Alexia, i-it was no trouble, really!" Jess called out as she raced after her friend.

After walking for a few yards, the two women reached the business of Bob Mulet, a world-renowned hairstylist and gay rights activist who had cut the hair of many famous Vinewood musicians and actresses in his career.

"Hi, how are you?" he gently greeted the women in a slight lisp.

The women both returned his warm greeting. Jess took a seat in the waiting area and began skimming over a magazine, while Alexia picked one of the many empty barber chairs on the floor and sat down.

"So, what do you want done today?"

"...Uh..."

Not quite sure exactly what she wanted, she turned over to Jess, who seemed to have become enthralled with a magazine full of gorgeous male models showcasing the latest hairstyles for men.

Accordingly, Alexia also reached for a magazine for womens' haircuts and skimmed through it, looking for anything that suited her fancy.

Finally, she came across a photo of a beautiful, black-haired woman, about the same shade as hers. This woman, however, had her hair cut extremely short, not even reaching down to the collar of her shirt in the back. It was also parted unevenly (slightly to the left) and even featured a little mess on top.

"Um...you think you can do this?"

"Sure! That's a LOT of hair to cut off, though, you sure that's what you want?"

"Y-yes sir," she confirmed as a floral hair covering was placed around her neck. "I just...I don't wanna look so...emo and teenagery anymore. I wanna look dignified and pretty...you get me?"

"Yeah, I hear you girlfriend," Bob Mulet agreed as he started to spray her hair down with a gentle mist of water. "I've been removing emo hair since before it even became a thing, so don't you worry a bit. I'll get you cleaned up."

Alexia smiled at the friendly hairstylist as he picked up his scissors and started to go to work on her.

"So, um, I know I got a lot to get rid of, but how long do you think it'll take? 'Cause me and her got a-"

"Oh, I finished AGES ago, sweetums," he informed her, smiling.

"..."

Alexia stared at her reflection in the large mirror, dumbfounded and filled with the utmost mix of shock and horror. In not even 5 seconds, not only was her hair perfectly sheared, trimmed, and messed, but it also followed the book to a T, with no deviation whatsoever.

"Wha-uh...WHAA?!" Alexia attempted at forming coherent words through the fear that had overtaken her.

"You...seem like you don't like it."

"No...J...HOW?!"

"How what, Formerly-Emo Girl?"

Alexia grabbed the collar of Bob Mulet's white dress shirt and aggressively pulled him down to her level, shaking him violently.

 **"HOW DID YOU DO THAT SO QUICKLY AND PERFECTLY, YOU PARANORMAL BEAST!"** Alexia screamed in Bob Mulet's face, in the loudest possible voice that she was capable of.

The frightened homosexual hairstylist managed to wriggle himself free and run to the nearest hairdryer, which he used to rid his fancy jacket of all the pure-black strands of Alexia's hair that were scattered on it.

Sensing that Alexia was about to experience a mental breakdown, Jess intuitively came to her side and put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"He's not a paranormal, Alexia," Jess informed in a soft voice. "He's just...good. He works right next to the movie studio, so he's ALWAYS gotta be doing hairstyles quickly and efficiently, so that people can get back on set."

"That's right, ma'am!" proclaimed Bob Mulet. "...How'd you know that, anyway?"

"Well, y'know, I'm kinda familiar with the movie business. In fact, I...worked in it for a while, starred in a few flicks."

"Oh yeah, you kinda look like..."

His eyes widened with shock as he again looked over the woman standing in front of him.

"...JESSAMINE HENDRIX?! IS THAT YOU, GIRL?!"

"Sho' is, Bobbarino!" she confirmed in a hilarious high-pitched accent.

The two went over to each other and embraced in a warm hug.

Alexia remained seated in her barbers' chair, completely lost as to anything that was going on at this point.

"Wow, Jess! You look so grown up and pretty! I-I didn't know it was you for a second!"

"Well, I was only 13 when I shot my last movie. _Children of Lucifer 6,_ you remember that?"

"Ohh, yes I do. I had to style your hair so many creative and different ways for that one. Really...I was just starting out when people saw my designs I did on you, it's what made me so famous! I-it's such an honor to have you stop by again!...How about I make your friend's haircut free?"

"Sure!"

"NO!"

Alexia defiantly stood up from her chair, the hair covering still hanging from her neck.

"Jess, you don't have to help me out again! I can take care of it!"

"But...Alexia, it's a free-"

"I know, I know! Just...you're being...way too nice to me..."

Alexia furiously rubbed her temples, a result of her insufficiently-rested brain trying to process all of this new information at once.

"Lexi, really. You're new here, and I'm more experienced, which means I have more money. It's _perfectly_ fine for me to help you out, girl. I'm completely okay with it."

After some more eye-rubbing and halfway thought processes, Alexia finally caved in, begrudgingly allowing her haircut to be free of charge because of Jess's influence.

"I'm...I'm sorry if you feel like I'm babying you, Alexia," said Jess as they headed back towards their parking spot. "I know that you're self-sufficient and everything and you can take care of yourself, I'm...just trying to treat you a little, y'know, as my new friend. Nothing too-"

"Yeah, I know, Jess...I just...I am really, really grateful for all that you've done; buying me a dress, offering encouraging words, a free haircut...saving my life..."

"Saving your...? Oh..."

Jessamine suddenly recalled the events of this morning, including the moment when a split-second decision by her meant the difference between life and death for Alexia.

"Well...yeah, I...I guess I did do that...that's pretty _cool_ , actually. I didn't think that much of it at first."

When they reached the car and climbed inside, Alexia sighed somberly and leaned forward in her seat.

"Honestly...I don't think I'm EVER going to be able to repay you for all of this. EVER. And all that you've been doing for me recently, it...it just adds to the impossibility of that task..."

Alexia suddenly stopped; her lip started to tremble, the surface of her now-visible bluish-green eyes became watery, and Jess fully expected what was to come next.

Jess rushed into action as Alexia burst into tears, readily embracing her in a warm, comforting hug and running her fingers through her friend's newly-shortened, stylish black hair.

"Shh shh shh...it's okay, Lexi..."

She allowed Alexia to sob into her chest, the products of 24 hours worth of tension, anger, sorrow, uncertainty, and anxiety being let out in liquid form and absorbed into Jessamine's bright green cocktail dress.

Jess, meanwhile, rocked gently back and forth while cradling her weeping friend in her arms. She started to rub Alexia's back, which helped to reduce her anxiety level considerably and to simply let all of her emotions out, be it through words or just more mucus and saltwater.

 _"No one..._ " Alexia started as soon as she found a break in the tears. _"No one's ever been this nice and...kind to me before..."_

"Yeah, I feel you, all the way...No one was really nice to me either growing up...My parents, they just used all of my acting money on boats, yachts, beachhouses...of course, I didn't get to use any of that because I was always busy. Literally all the time, I was either on set or practicing for being on set. I was always dieting and exercising and...I never just...got to live, relax, have fun...that is, until I was committed to a mental asylum, for biting off my dad's ear."

Alexia, while understandably shifting uncomfortably in her seat, still kept her arms wrapped around her close, trusted friend.

"Yeah. I know that was kind of extreme, but...it really was worth it, to get away from all that mess. In the looney bin, my only responsibility was to sit on a nice, soft bed all day and eat my free food, watch a little TV and make macaroni art if I was good. It was...blissful, i-if that's the word...But then things kinda got weird when the Black Skulls came along, helped me and a ton of other inmates escape, offered us jobs. Nowadays, I'm makin' a buttload more money than I ever did acting. And more importantly...I'm finally happy. And to celebrate my newfound path in life, I often just like to share that happiness with other people, y'know, crack a stupid joke, pose a dead body in a funny way, buy something for a noob. Just...anything that makes people smile and laugh."

Alexia sniffled and looked up at her friend. Jess smiled and gently wiped a single tear from her cheek.

"So, I know exactly what you can do to repay me...keep smilin', Alexia. To see you as excited and happy as you were when you tried on that dress, it really does elate _my_ spirits as well...And who knows, maybe, like, you'll save _my_ life one day, and then we'll be even on that. But, uh...y'know, don't think of my debt as a pain in the ass, like student loans. It's more of a 'you might do it, you might not' type of thing, I'm not gonna push you."

After a few more minutes, Alexia felt that she had finally cleansed herself. She sat up in her seat, took a deep breath, and smiled at her new best friend.

"Thank you, Jessamine...You're the best friend a shy, awkward noob girl like me could ever have."

The two friends embraced once more.

As they did this, Alexia noticed for the first time a small crowd of people that had mysteriously gathered around the Oracle.

"Uh...were they watching us the entire time?" Alexia asked her friend.

"Yeah...I knew about it, I just didn't wanna upset you further."

 _"...Can you guys, like...kiss and get naked?"_ asked a higher-pitched male voice in the audience.

In response to this question, Jessamine pulled out her submachine gun, stuck it out of the passenger-side window, and fired a few shots into the air. The entire mass of people was sent running down the street in fear, screaming and tripping over themselves.

Both Alexia and Jessamine were doubled over with laughter at this point, but Alexia managed to calm herself somewhat so that she could floor it down the street before the cops could arrive at the scene.


	7. The Funky Jam Dance Party

**Hey all you people, just to let ya' know, this party-rrific chapter is gonna be a two-parter. I was gonna make this chapter even longer, but it's already more than 7K words, so I'll just have to split it in half, like a fresh-baked croissant (mmmm).**

 **Also, uh, to answer your question, Crazy Redwood (you had Private Messaging disabled)...yes and no. Jess isn't based on anyone, but Alexia and her uncle are...sorta. They're my two GTA Online characters that I use. I play as both of them regularly; the character based on Uncle Remus is currently level 180. He wears an all-black suit with a red tie and black skull mask, and he's got all these cool cars and weapons and such. Also, he's an excellent racer, I've won over 900 as him. :) And Alexia's character is currently near level 50, she doesn't really own a lot of cars, but her skill's still there. I normally just use her for heists. As far as I know though, the Black Skulls are not a real crew, and if they are, they're certainly not as big as the crew depicted here.**

 **Also, did ya' notice the new picture? That, my friends, is my own artwork, I drew it in about 2 hours. I mean, dancing Lester is HILARIOUS, don't get me wrong, but I just wanted something that depicted the story more accurately. Of course, I have no idea in the slightest on how to...digitize it or whatever, put it in the computer and make it a masterpiece like those wonderful folks on deviantart. So, if you know how to do that, and wanna improve the picture some, just hit me up on PM, show me what ya' got.**

 **Either way, enjoy this chapter. Next part should be out sometime after finals this week.**

As she applied a fresh-but-conservative coat of makeup to her pale-skinned face, Alexia couldn't help but stare at the bright-pink neon sign that was extruded above the main entrance of Bahama Mamas. This rather peculiar combination of a night club and strip club sat in the beachside district of Del Perro, on the intersection of Marathon Avenue and the Prosperity Street Promenade outdoor shopping mall.

Alexia's blood-red Oracle was situated in an adjacent alleyway, across Marathon Avenue from the club, looking rather out of place next to all of the dark-colored Insurgents, Guardians, and armored Kurumas that they shared the small space with. Deafening heavy metal music blasted from the speakers of a few vehicles that groups of Black Skulls had gathered around. These particular Skulls just couldn't wait until the party started to get drunk and occasionally fire off a few celebratory bullets in the air, to congratulatory whoops and hollers from their buddies.

One of these loud bangs happened to occur as Jessamine was applying some eyeliner; she involuntarily flinched, the muscular contraction leaving a large, ugly black smudge on her eyelid.

"GRRRRR, SON OF A FRIGGEN... _FRICK_!" Jess inexplicably cursed. "I'm gonna talk to them, Lexi."

"I...wouldn't think that's a good idea," her friend advised, referencing the fact that, despite being their fellow crew members, these _were_ a bunch of large, drunk men with weapons.

"Nawww, these guys love me! Just watch."

On those comforting words, Jess exited her vehicle and started towards the men; Alexia, of course, expected the situation to turn out badly, but to her surprise, she soon heard a multitude of warmhearted greetings and compliments directed toward her friend. She opened the car door slightly and peeked out at her friend as she approached the massive coal-black Insurgent that had a large military-grade mounted machine gun on its roof.

"Heyy, Jess!" a skinny, long-haired male Skull called out above the riff-heavy music that continued to blare out of the Insurgent's speakers. "You look pretty tonight!"

"Thanks, I know!" she called back. "I like the music, too! It's very, um...aesthetic!"

"Glad you like it! It's, uh...it's my band!"

"Oh, really?!" Jess pretended to be interested.

"Yeah, we're called 'Naturale Eius Debent'...you should totally look us up on Spotify!"

"Yo Jess...what's up with that black eye?" asked a more-muscular skinheaded Skull that currently had a Combat MG rifle slung across his shoulder.

"Black eye? What are you..." Jess then realized that the man was referring not to an actual black eye, but to the crooked streak of black makeup that arched around her eyelid and towards the corner of her eye.

"Has that clown Curtis been messin' with you again?!" asked the man, cracking his muffler-sized fists for special effect.

"What? NO! No!" Jess replied, enjoying a good hearty laugh at such a dark misconception. "I just...when you guys were poppin' off shots earlier, it...I was applying some eye makeup, and I kinda flinched because of it..."

The group of men nodded, surprisingly understanding that their actions were disruptive to Jess's beauty regimen.

"Aight, Jess. We'll knock it off for a while," the long-haired Skull declared, smiling slyly. "Just keep lookin' beautiful for us!"

"Bitch please, I'm always beautiful," she joked at them, flipping her long blonde hair to the side and strutting off dramatically with her hands on her hips.

Alexia simply stared at her friend in shock and awe, impressed that she had actually managed to pull such a feat off, successfully getting the group of rowdy Skulls to silence their weapons for a few minutes.

"Wow, Jess. I..."

"Told you they liked me," said Jess, grinning as she removed the large smudge with some makeup remover and applied it the correct way, this time without interruption.

"I just...I wish I could do stuff like that...I'm just not all confident and pretty, like you are."

"Alexia."

Jess looked at her with a sudden seriousness in her demeanor, caused by Alexia's statement reflecting low self confidence.

"Girl, you do not even have to beg for guys' attention like I do because, well...you are a SWEETHEART. Like, really. You are literally the nicest, sweetest, most adorable person...that I have ever met. No jokes here, girl."

"Wow...really?" Alexia smiled at her, enlightened by this genuine compliment.

"YEAH, GIRL. I mean, combine that with the fact that you're so...naturally beautiful, even without all the makeup and other beauty products I use, like...you are stunning, Alexia. There's no doubt about it."

"Thanks, Jess..." said Alexia as she put the finishing touches on her cat eyes and closed her makeup bottle. "You're a really good friend. I...I really wish I had someone like you growing up, because...for the first time in my life, I-I finally feel really pretty and good about myself...it just, it feels _really_ awesome."

The two hugged once again. This time, Alexia decided to rest her head on her friend's bare shoulder; welcoming this, Jess began to gently run her fingernails through her friend's messy black hair, playing with the short strands of it and massaging her friend's scalp.

A minute or so later, they decided to part, as they didn't want any passing Black Skulls to get the wrong idea about their relationship. They glanced in the rearview mirrors for final confirmation that they looked presentable, before stepping out of the tiny car and proceeding down the alleyway, towards Marathon Avenue in the direction of the illuminated nightclub.

Looking down on opposite ends of the street, Alexia managed to spot a line of LAPV Insurgents blocking the pavement on either side of the road that led to the entrance to the club, ensuring that no interloper would intrude on the Black Skulls' reserved venue for the night. Standing near the Insurgents were a group of armed Skulls in their masks and midnight-black utility vests, not really doing anything at the moment besides smoking Redwood cigarettes and having fun intimidating any unlucky pedestrians that happened to wander too near to the roadblocks.

"Wow..." Alexia commented. "Is there usually this much security at a party?"

"Uh...yeah," replied Jess, who acted as if the answer was rather obvious. "Do you know how many people would just LOVE to attack the Skulls while our guard was down? Like, seriously, Lexi. At these things, usually half of us get shitfaced drunk, a-and the other half get high on all these weird...amphetamines and such! It would not be a good time for, like, the Roses or the FIB to launch an offensive, so security is a MUST."

"Okay, I...I guess that makes sense..."

" _But..._ you shouldn't worry your pretty little head about that," Jess reminded her, patting her playfully on the cheek. "This is your opportunity to let loose and have some fun. I mean, don't get me wrong, your shyness is friggen adorable...But at a party, it just won't do ya' much good. We have to-"

"Hey, Jess!" greeted the large, African-American bouncer at the door. "This one with you?"

"Yeah, Denny! She's cool."

"Good enough for me," said Denny, laughing as he opened the door for them. "Have a good time, ladies."

Making their way through two double doors at the right end of the entrance hall, they soon found themselves in a densely-crowded bar area, packed with numerous conversing criminals, as well as the scantily-clad women (the "Bahama Mamas") that were serving/servicing them at the moment. Loud nightcore/dubstep music blasted from the DJ station next to the dance floor in the adjacent room; the sheer amount of bass encased in each track was enough to make the glassware and wine bottles shake upon the dark granite bar tables. Looking across the bar to a set of more-private booths revealed a few Skulls snorting an unknown blue powder, and quite a few others making out with and touching the many, many attractive female employees that the club boasted.

Squeezing and slipping their way past the mass of people that were currently congregating in the room, the friends eventually spotted two conveniently-empty stools in a distant corner of the bar table, readily taking them before any Skulls noticed.

"Hey, guys!" the olive-skinned Bahama Mama serving as the bartender was quick to walk over to the new customers, pen and paper in hand. "What are y'all havin' tonight?"

"Hey there...sweet cheeks," Jess unabashedly greeted the woman, who granted her a smile in return. Alexia, meanwhile, was sent rolling onto the floor in a hysterical fit of laughter from her friend's abrasive confidence.

"Can I get a strawberry daiquiri, on the rocks?"

"Sure...my darling," replied the bartender, aiming to match the comedy of the situation. "And what about you?"

"Um..." Alexia eventually managed to calm herself enough so that she could sit back up and order.

Eventually, though, she realized she had run into a problem; having never been into a bar before, she was not very knowledgeable of all the drinks and possible combinations of drinks that were possible to order. She did not know terminology, names, or even what to say at that very moment, forcing her to turn to Jess in order to not look like some kind of uncultured hick or alcohol newbie.

Jessamine, taking a hint from the look of desperation in Alexia's eyes, promptly stated to the bartender:

"Uh, she'll have what I'm having...I mean, if that so pleases the lady."

Alexia smiled and nodded eagerly at Jess's proposal, thankful that she had been there to save her at that moment.

As the bartender returned to her station to fix their drinks, however, Jess turned to Alexia and took a firm hold of her shoulders.

"Seriously, Lexi? I knew you were so innocent and cute and all, but NO ALCOHOLIC DRINKS? Like, HOW DO YOU LIVE, WOMAN?!"

"I mean, I-I've had alcohol before," said Alexia through her laughter. "It's just, it's...it's kinda been a while."

 **FLASHBACK**

It was a typical summer afternoon in the tiny, rust-encased trailer that was situated along an isolated dirt road in McAllister County, South Yankton. An intense summer heat wave made it much too hot to be anywhere outside on the Plains, so all activity was indefinitely moved indoors, amidst the dust bunnies and cockroaches that had accumulated under the residents' lack of proper care.

Inside the house, a young, brown-haired woman was slaving over a hot stove, preparing a meal for both her husband and 8-month-old baby girl, who were at the moment relaxing on a dingy brown sofa, enjoying the latest NASCAR race that they had picked up from a stolen cable system. Two or three electric fans were situated around the couch, blowing at the very maximum setting that was possible; the old, rusty trailer possessed no air conditioning system, so the people who lived there had to constantly have these blowing to keep the house somewhat cool, making their monthly electricity bill almost-unsustainably high.

Nonetheless, the man, who sported a head of jet-black hair and a short mustache to match, chose not to think about his financial woes at the moment as he gulped down yet another bottle of refreshing ice-cold Pisswasser, an entire 12-pack of which he had stored in a conveniently-placed cooler beside his feet. He had just lost his job at a nearby trucking company and was completely lost as to how he was going to support his new family, so he decided to just continue drinking, hoping that these monetary problems would blissfully melt away if he would just take a few more sips.

Looking briefly over to his left, the man couldn't help but marvel at his beautiful baby daughter, who was currently sitting upright next to him (with the assistance of a few pillows) and staring absentmindedly at the TV. Of course, baby Alexia did not yet understand all of the intricacies and rules of the sport of racing, but she did happen to enjoy the colors and distraction that the television had to offer.

Despite the assistance of the electric fans around her, Alexia's short head of equally-black hair was matted and stuck to her forehead from sweating all day; because of the pervasive heat, she was wearing only her diaper, showing off the considerable pudge that she had built up from all of the mashed-up Hamburger Helper and discount baby foods that her mother often fed her in excess amounts.

Baby Alexia began to feel a sharp pain in her stomach, the result of being hungry yet again. Since she could not yet express her desire to be fed in words, she began to cry loudly, in the hopes that one of her parents would come to her aid and provide her with nourishment as soon as possible. The sound of her cries managed to beat out the other commotion in the cramped space (the monotone NASCAR announcers and the dull roar of 3 fans at once) so that her already-overloaded mother could hear.

 _"LYNN!"_ she yelled in a slight Midwestern accent across the room. _"THE BABY'S CRYING AGAIN!"_

"Yeahhh, I know," her husband drawled as he took another sip of beer.

 _"Make your lazy ass useful and take care of it, I am just...I am SO stressed out right now!"_

Lynn gave a slight halfhearted nod to his angry wife, which was enough confirmation for her to leave the room and return to her cooking.

He was rather confused on how to deal with this particular situation; he was away so often with his job that he had only even seen Alexia a few times before this. Lynn resourcefully scanned around the room he was in, or more specifically, what was within reach from his sitting position, hoping that there was something nearby that would calm his crying daughter.

Suddenly...a stroke of genius. He gazed down at the half-empty beer bottle in his hand with intrigue before turning back to his daughter, who was by now wailing at the top of her lungs for some form of parental attention.

Before Alexia knew what was happening, Lynn had placed his bottle of beer into her open mouth. She involuntarily downed a few large gulps of the undiluted alcoholic drink before her dad removed the bottle.

As Alexia's father had hypothesized, she had indeed stopped crying, and was now sitting completely still and silent in her spot on the couch.

"...You good now, baby girl?"

Alexia looked over at her father and gave a sharp hiccup, as if in response to his question.

Lynn, of course, grinned at his daughter's unintended cuteness; she grinned back at him, laughing adorably before hiccuping a few more times.

"Oh my God, it...it's like magic!" Lynn exclaimed, looking down at the bottle in his hand as if it were the Holy Grail or some kind of marvelous new invention. "LINDA! I-I think I'm a genius, or somethin'!"

 _"Yeah, a genius with no **job**_!" his wife taunted from the kitchen.

"Aww, SHUT UP, woman! You don't know how hard it is!" he sat up to yell at his wife. "She don't know what she's talkin' about, does she, Alexia?"

Alexia obviously couldn't understand his speech, but nonetheless, she decided to smile at her dad again, the hiccups briefly dying down. Her father put a supportive arm around his daughter's tiny shoulders and pulled her close to him as he flipped the channel, due to a commercial break.

 **END FLASHBACK**

"Whoa...Dude, that's...that's kinda heavy."

Jess listened to Alexia's story with intrigue, both fascinated and appalled by the squalor and poverty that her friend had grown up in, compared to the high-style Vinewood luxury of her own childhood.

"Yeah..." Alexia trailed off, pretending to draw on the bar table with one of her fingernails.

Due to the celebratory party atmosphere of the room, Alexia decided not to inform Jess of the fact that her father had killed himself, when she was only 3 years old. Due to him not being able to find work, he one night decided to go out into a nearby pasture and shoot himself in the chest with his hunting rifle, which killed him almost instantly. Alexia's mom was 7 months pregnant with twin boys at the time, and was stricken with bouts of severe depression for years afterwards.

Whenever her mother was in the midst of one of these 'moods', as she called them, Alexia would often decide to leave the oppressive atmosphere of the claustrophobic trailer, carrying a box of ammunition and the same exact rifle that her father had used to take his own life, and go out hunting in the pasture or woods that surrounded her tiny home. She would sometimes stay outside, rain or shine, for several hours on end, shooting anything that came within her line of sight. This ranged from mostly birds, but also a few coyotes, deer, and even the occasional prairie dog. Alexia's family would sometimes even resort to eating one of her kills for dinner, during periods where they were particularly low on money and food.

"Two strawberry daiquiris, on the rocks, for my _lovely_ female customers."

Alexia was snapped out of her nostalgic trance by the sound of clinking glass in front of her; presented before her was a bright red drink, with a few large ice cubes inside; if it weren't for the huge strawberry that served as the drink's garnish, Alexia could have sworn that she was about to drink a glass of fresh blood.

"And, um, don't worry about paying. To celebrate a productive month for the Black Skulls, I've been informed that all drinks are on the house, courtesy of Remus Knight."

"Aw, SWEET!" exclaimed Jess, spinning around on her bar stool. "I-I think I know that guy! Uh, let's see...the name sounds familiar, but..."

"Uh, isn't he, like, your crew leader?" the unaffiliated Bahama Mama informed Jess.

"Oh yeah! That's who that is! The-the creepy torturer guy, that doesn't come out of the compound!"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't be calling him creepy, if I was you," Alexia quickly reminded her friend. "He, uh...might have heard that...Like, with cameras, or something."

'Might have' was a bit of an understatement. In fact, Alexia was almost certain that her uncle was watching their every move at that very moment, and she was sure that Jess's naturally-loud voice had registered clearly on his surveillance tapes. At the moment, she could only hope that her actions were sufficient to save Jessamine from his wrath (which would probably include some form of horrible punishment or torture inflicted upon her).

"Yeahhh, you're probably right...Sorry, Remus!" she yelled out at nothing in particular in the room. "I hope we're cool, sir! I-I really didn't mean that! I'm sorry!"

"I think he forgives you," said the bartender, laughing. "Have a nice night, you two."

The two were sure to thank the bartender before picking up their drinks in preparation for a nice toast.

"To, uh..." Jessamine started, not quite sure what they should toast to. "...To Alexia's first alcoholic drink, that she is drinking voluntarily!"

Alexia smiled and chuckled under her breath.

"Alright, th-that's a good one. Cheers."

The two merrily clinked glasses and simultaneously swallowed a large amount of their drink through their straws.

Eventually, Alexia was forced to place hers down again, as the strong alcoholic taste that accompanied the strawberries came as a very unpleasant surprise to her taste buds. She grimaced slightly and took out a bottle of water that she always kept in her purse, taking a large swig to help rid the horrible taste from her tongue.

"You alright, Lexi?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's just kinda...strong."

"Girl, there is barely _any_ alcohol in this, it's just a little rum. The rest of it is, like, fruit juice and such, it's like...a Capri-Sun, but for us grown-ups," Jess explained as she took another sip, grinning at the warm and fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach that the alcohol always gave her.

Alexia eventually got to feeling this as well; she had to admit that it was, in fact, a good feeling, one which made her feel relaxed and strangely giddy. She decided to take another sip, deciding to ignore the foreign taste of the rum so that the warmth in her belly would return.

"Alright, this...this isn't half bad," Alexia admitted as she began to take larger gulps, feeling more and more relaxed and at ease as she continued to drink.

Jess smiled at her grand accomplishment, which would ultimately lead to getting her introverted friend to have fun and to help her break out of her shell. Hopefully, this would happen with the assistance of a few light drinks, which would help her to relax and reach this goal.

"Yo, Jess," said a mysterious male voice behind them. "Guess who just got back?"

Jess immediately reached up and hugged this man that had appeared seemingly out of thin air behind them. The man hugged her back, Jess burying her head into his chest and squealing in excitement, for a reason that was completely unknown to Alexia.

The man in question was nearly the same height as Jessamine (about 6 feet tall) and sported moderately long, chopped dark brown hair with some light stubble to match. From the looks of him, Alexia began to wonder if he had just gotten back from some kind of war; he was wearing a midnight-black combat vest with some matching pants and boots. He carried a metallic-looking black skull mask beside him, under his shoulder, which Alexia could only guess he used as a kind of protective headgear or armor.

"Oh thank God, you're...you're alive!" Jess screamed into the man's chest. From the sound of her voice, it sounded as if she had started to cry, from the relief of seeing this man safe and alive. "I-I heard some shit went down, you..."

"Yeah, I'm okay, Jess," he said as he petted her hair assuringly. His voice was deep and throaty, with hints of New Jersey interspersed between syllables. "I killed the target, of course, but...things didn't go so smoothly after that. I had to hide out in the woods for a couple days, dodging gang members, but...I made it out alive. And in time for the party, so that's even more awesome."

Suddenly, the man happened to take notice of the black-haired woman sitting behind them, confused as to anything that was going on at the moment. Nonetheless, since he appeared to be a good friend of Jessamine's, Alexia smiled at the man and gave a light wave. As Jess currently had his shoulders locked in her trademark death grip, the man simply nodded at Alexia, giving her a friendly grin as well.

"Hey, uh...who's your friend, Jess?"

"Oh, um...this is my best bud, Alexia. She's a new member."

"Really? Well, it's uh, nice to make your acquaintance...the name's Damien."

Jess released her grip and stepped aside for a few moments so that Alexia and Damien could hug for a few seconds. Alexia noticed that he had a very familiar smell, one almost resembling old sod or freshly-rolled hay that had been hastily covered up with some kind of deodorant or aftershave.

"So, uh..." Damien started, trying to start up a conversation with her. "They still do the...street races, for new members?"

"Yeah, um...yeah, they do," Alexia responded, slouching in her seat due to her acute social anxiety around new people, especially ruggedly-handsome men such as the one in front of her.

"Oh, okay. Did you...win yours?"

"... _Very_ nearly," she said, laughing slightly. "I raced good enough, though, that they were very impressed, like, with my skills...In fact...the boss called me, personally, to congratulate me."

"Whoa, are you for real?!" Damien exclaimed. "Now that, _that_ is impressive...Only time he's ever called me is to promote me. And, y'know, it's usually a prerecorded message from, like, 10 years ago, or somethin'."

"A few weeks ago, Damien got promoted to the title of HEAD assassin for the Black Skulls," Jessamine informed, grinning. "And he's awesome at it, too!"

"Yeahh, I'm okay at it, I guess...I haven't really had any slipups until a couple days ago. But, uh...it's a good position, it pays very well. 75K, give or take, for each hit I do."

Alexia was almost forced to spit out the drink she was sipping at the moment, as the amount of money described by Damien for one job dwarfed that of the value of her mother's house, squared.

The voices of a few others were now audible, calling out to the assassin she had just met with raucous greetings and cheers, indicating that they were also anticipating his return.

"Hey, uh, I think there's some drunk hooligans calling my name," he commented, smiling. "Have fun, you two...It was good to meet you, Alexia!"

Damien rushed through the crowd of people to join his buddies, who immediately greeted him with pats on the back and an ice-cold beer in his hand.

As soon as the socialization was over, Alexia happily returned to her drink, feeling its calming, soothing effects once again. By this point, the tall glass was more than a quarter of the way empty, and Alexia continued to drink, at a breakneck speed compared to her friend.

"Girl...do not tell me that you didn't see that."

Jess leaned in close to Alexia, making discreet pointing motions across the room at Damien.

"...See what?" asked Alexia as she slurped down the very last of the liquid in her glass.

"Uh, DUH! The way he was looking at you!" said Jess, making crazy arm motions in the air. "It is literally the _same exact way_ he looked at me a year ago, when we used to hook up! H-he thinks you're totally hot, Alexia!"

Alexia instantaneously froze; her face had turned nearly as red as the strawberry drink that she had momentarily stopped sipping.

She hastily darted her eyes over to the man that apparently has a crush on her, who was at the moment heading off to the dance floor with his buddies.

"So...what are you gonna do?" asked Jess, grinning at her.

"I-I don't know!" Alexia rubbed her temples furiously, trying to process this new information. "Shit, Jess, I...I haven't even had a boyfriend since, like, 6th grade! H-how the fuck do adult relationships even work?!"

"Alexia...Just calm down," Jess comforted, taking her nervous friend around the shoulders and patting her on the back for reassurance. "I didn't say you had to be his girlfriend. I mean...do you like _him_?"

She stole one last glance at Damien, whom she witnessed ironically doing the 'Whip/Nae Nae' with a few of his friends to a completely-unrelated dubstep song.

"Yeah, but...I'd just...I'd just like to know a little more about him, like, just to be sure he's compatible with me."

"That is completely understandable, my friend...I mean, Damien's the kind of type to make the first move, but only if you let him in. Give him some kinda...signal, to let him know that you're interested. That'll most likely lead to a date, and ya' might be able to take it from there. I-if you want to, that is."

"Yeah, I...I think that might work..."

"You need another drink, hun?" asked the friendly bartender, who was simultaneously dancing erotically for a group of men while preparing some drinks.

"Yes, please."

Jess let out a startled yelp at the sight of Alexia's empty glass, compared to her own half-full daiquiri that had been sitting beside her as she had talked.

"...What?" Alexia asked, giggling at Jess's funny, high-pitched scream.

"Y-you just...Wow, Alexia! You gotta slow it down! At this rate, you're liable to start getting drunk without your best pal!"

"Oh, um...don't worry, Jess. I'll see you when you get there." Alexia grinned deviously as she took a sip of her fresh drink, savoring the fruity alcoholic goodness encased in the bright red liquid.

Jess narrowed her eyes as she decided to take up Alexia's challenge; she started to sip her drink furiously. Jess became determined to beat Alexia in this heated race, where the finish line was well past the legal blood alcohol level.

Despite her best efforts, Jess had only managed to finish off her first drink as Alexia was almost ready to move onto a third. Gloating at her steady lead, Alexia popped the entire strawberry that came with the drink into her mouth, raising a fist in victory as she chewed on it.

"Oh, hell naw! HELL! NAW! This ain't over yet, I will DESTROY YOU!"

The fact that Jess had said this in such an overly-dramatic and gruff voice caused Alexia to lose focus; she started to laugh uncontrollably just before she took another sip, giving Jess the opportunity to catch up somewhat.

This high-tension battle of booze went on for a good long while, until Alexia had finished a full 7 alcoholic drinks, whose glasses were scattered about the table with their strawberries picked off and eaten whole.

Jess, meanwhile, was struggling to find the energy to finish downing a 6th daiquiri; her hand trembled as she struggled to lift the glass to her lips, as the multiple judgment-impairing substances she had consumed had clouded her knowledge of basic motor skills.

"Juuust give it up, Jessie," Alexia slurred; she swayed back and forth on her bar stool, as if it were some sort of swing or mechanical bull. "You're never gonna win."

"Sh-shaddap!"

In an effort to finish strongly, Jess did indeed manage to consume the last of her drink. Afterwards, she collapsed headfirst onto the bar table, tapping on it a few times to signal defeat.

Several Black Skulls that had gathered around to watch the race clapped for Alexia's victory; still others grumbled as they handed over wads of cash that they had bet on Jess to their Alexia-supporting buddies.

"...Great game out there, champ," said Alexia, patting her friend on the shoulder. "I was rootin' for ya'."

Jess sighed heavily, blowing a loose strand of blonde hair off her sweat-stained forehead.

"I was...really not expecting you to be that good...Y-you're an amazing partier, Alexia! Better than any I've seen! I-it's like you're a natural! Y-you, you deserve...you deserve a SCHOLARSHIP!"

Alexia sniffled, tears forming in her eyes. "Y'know, I...I love you, man. Really, you're like...the big sister I never had."

The two friends hugged, sobbing drunkenly into each others' shoulders.

"Kiss! KISS! KISS! KISS!"

The sizable gathering of Black Skulls began to chant this at an increasing volume; some got out their iFruit and Drone phones, cameras at the ready and pointing towards the two drunken women.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, equally unsure if they should heed to the crowd's demands. Even when drunk, this clearly registered in their warm, foggy minds as some sort of gross misconduct.

In the heat of the moment, however, they were forced to make a split decision; Jess chose to instigate, swooping in and giving her friend a quick peck on the lips.

This, predictably, was enough to make Alexia's eyes widen in astonishment; she looked over at her friend, who was by now reaching over the bar table, attempting to discreetly sneak a $20 tip into the bartender's G-string while her back was turned.

The crowd of rowdy Skulls, meanwhile, jeered loudly, as they had been expecting, perhaps, a little more showmanship and tongue-play from the two girls.

"...That's all ya' get for free!" Jess yelled. "SUCKAS!"

Alexia suddenly felt Jess grabbing her hand and yanking her out of her seat, rushing her away from the crowd of angry, drunken Black Skulls and into a relative safety net, which consisted of another group of gleeful dancing patrons.

She noticed that the bass-heavy music was much louder now, enough to make her feel as if her ribs were rattling in her chest. The very floor beneath her pump-encased feet shook, enough to make her bounce at least an inch or two above the ground with each beat of the track that was currently playing.

This, however, did not seem to faze the swarm of people that covered nearly every square inch of the small space. The DJ stood proudly on his technology-laden pedestal overlooking his crowd of dancers, his head completely covered by a skull mask that glowed neon-green in the periods of pitch-blackness that accompanied the strobe lights.

Looking beside her, she noticed for the first time her friend, who was swiveling her hips to the heavy beat, playfully bumping thighs with Alexia as she moved effortlessly across the dance floor. She marveled at Jess's amazing ability to balance as she danced, despite her oblique drunkenness.

"C'mon, Alexia! Don't just stand there, ya' gotta get _down_ wit tha' funk, girl!" she attempted to yell over the booming subwoofers.

Under normal circumstances, Alexia would have readily abstained from such a display of carefree joy in the presence of hundreds of other people, fearing some sort of ridicule over her execrable dancing skills. At the moment, however, this social barrier was temporarily lifted, thanks to the numbing effect on her brain's judgment center that alcohol so blissfully granted her.

She started to shake her hips as well, following Jess's lead, albeit with far more awkward, amateurish movements. As a result, several members of the crowd began to take notice of the two and how comically obvious the difference in their dancing skills were. They started to clear the dance floor to witness this spectacle and clapped them on as the beat of the track grew progressively faster and less bass-laden, thanks to the techno magic of the DJ.

Thinking, in her drunken state, that the crowd was impressed by her skills, Alexia began to up the ante. She took hold of the sleeved covering that went over her thin-strap black dress and pulled it over her head, tying it around her waist afterwards. This elicited many cheers from the largely-male crowd, who at this point hoped for an eventual stripping contest between the two.

However, as Jess continued to dance aggressively and increasingly provocatively, Alexia suddenly decided to lower the intensity of her movements. She had come to realize that, over time, the strobe lights had become increasingly blinding and irritating, and that the temperature of the room had begun to increase dramatically. After a few minutes, she had no choice but to stop completely, hunching over and attempting to catch her breath.

"Lexi?...You alright?" Jess stopped as well, to comfort her friend.

Without warning, Alexia began to feel horribly sick to her stomach. She hastily pushed her friend aside and made a stumbling, drunken beeline for the nearby ladies' room, a concerned Jess following close behind.

Before her knees even hit the bathroom floor, vomit mixed with fresh bile rapidly rose up through her esophagus and fell into the nearby toilet bowl. She retched violently, coughing and sputtering in between periods of throwing up. Jess, of course, knelt down beside her in the stall, patting her on the back to ensure that all of the sickening yellowish-green chunks were evacuated from her system.

"I'm so sorry, Alexia," said Jess, her speech still noticeably slurred, as her friend spewed another round of the foul-smelling mixture. "I really shouldn't've made ya' drink that much, it...I'm..."

"Don't worry about it..." Alexia rasped as soon as she found a break. "I guess, like...my system just couldn't handle all that at one time, I...OH, SHIT."

The vomiting returned, this time ejecting from Alexia's mouth at an even greater intensity, causing her back to arch and her stomach to burn with each subsequent round. By the time she finally felt her stomach had emptied, the toilet bowl was just a few precarious inches away from being dangerously overfull.

Jess flushed the substance down as Alexia slumped on the floor, exhausted and gasping for breath.

"...You good now?"

"Yeah...Yeah, I think so..."

Jess helped her friend up, dusting the various specks of dust and dirt that had accumulated on her dress.

"Man, this bathroom is filthy. Who's the...who's the fuggin' janitor round this place?"

Jess suddenly turned to the mirror, noticing her own reflection staring at her.

"Was it you who got my friend so sick?!" she yelled at her reflection. "Why, you SON OF A BITCH!"

Jess then picked up her purse and used it to smash the mirror into many tiny glass pieces. Alexia couldn't help but cringe at the sound, as it served as a horrible reminder of how her hands had gotten so mangled and bloody the night before. Nonetheless, she was grateful that the vomiting had caused her to feel much more sober, to the point that she had no inclination to start assaulting her own reflection.

With her sense of sound judgment returned, she was able to pick up another sound, which seemed to come from outside the bathroom, near the dance floor area. The sound was rather loud, and it was accompanied by what sounded like shrill screaming.

"Hey, Jess...You hear that, right?"

"Hear what?"

"I dunno, it kinda sounded like-"

A deafening boom interrupted Alexia's sentence, sending both women spilling onto the bathroom floor, amidst the broken glass. The sound of gunfire was now more apparent, as were numerous voices shouting urgently. The music had since abruptly stopped, so that the horrible sounds of death and destruction now filled the nightclub.

"Jess, I...I think we're being attacked!"

"Oh, shit...I-it's happening...?"

"Yeah, I think so-"

Another explosion, accompanied by a victorious battle cry emanating from the dance floor area.

 _"Don't mess with the Roses, baby! You all about to BLEED!"_

Jess's face now showed immense fear; her hands began to tremble, and it was apparent that this realization was enough to sober her up immensely.

Alexia immediately hit the bathroom lights and hid with her friend in the nearest stall. Guns raised towards the door, the two struggled to crouch on the same toilet seat, so that their feet wouldn't show in the open space below.

Of course, Alexia was fully aware that they would most likely not survive the night; the sound of bullets hitting nearby objects and screaming Black Skulls was enough to tell her that a bloody massacre was occurring outside. And now, sitting on a toilet seat, armed with only a pistol and a micro SMG between them, both of which were desperately low on ammo, Alexia started to run over numerous thoughts and plans all at once, all of them most likely ending in an untimely death for both her and her friend, at the hands of these so-called 'Roses'.

Hearing sniffling beside her, she turned over to Jess, whom she noticed was now crying softly. Her tears dripped onto the floor below, as she too realized the utter hopelessness of the situation. Accordingly, Alexia reached over and hugged her tightly, knowing that it would most likely be the last time they had the chance to do so.

"I love you, Jess...No matter what happens, it...it was an honor to be your friend."

"I love you too...Alexia," she squeaked, trying not to speak too loud.

They held each other tightly as the gunfire raged outside, and the slaughter continued.


	8. The Funky Jam Dance Party 2

The seconds dragged by torturously for the two women who remained trapped in a public restroom and forced to contemplate the most unpleasant of subjects; the method and moment of their own deaths. The horrible muffled sounds coming from behind the heavy wooden door that separated them from the carnage outside only jogged these bloody visions, which, while imaginary at the moment, were soon to become reality for them both as soon as a Rose took notice of the unchecked room and bust down the door.

"Hey, Jess..." Alexia whispered softly, not daring to go above a certain volume in the echo-prone bathroom.

"Yeah?"

"Um...I'm thinkin', like...if just one of those guys comes in here...I think we can take him, you and me. Maybe, like, hold him hostage for a while, just until the-"

"Alexia..." Jess interrupted, shaking her head solemnly. "There's no way...i-it's game over..."

"What?" Alexia looked at her friend, perplexed at her sudden depressive state. "Jess, don't say things like that. Like, aren't you normally the optimist between us in these kinds of situations?"

"Yeah, but..."

Jess started, before turning to Alexia with fresh tears in her eyes.

"I-I don't wanna die, Alexia...Not like this...I mean, I always thought I'd die after, like, being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer or something, doctor would tell me to just sit at home and die slowly. But then I'd be all like, 'lol screw that shit, mang' and commit, like, a _bunch_ of crimes. That would get the police on me, and then I'd lead them on this really long, violent, awesome police chase, a-across the whole fuckin' state...Then, when I finally got bored of it...I'd just stop, and...throw a proximity mine onto the road...then drive over it..."

Alexia searched for words in response to this, but she simply had none. She stared at her friend in awe, amazed by the sheer amount of detail she had put into planning the events of her own ideal death.

"But now..." Jess continued in a shaky voice, tears now streaming down her face. "N-no one will remember me for dying like...like a cornered animal, in this stupid bathroom. I mean, th-that's not impressive or even noteworthy...Instead, I'll...I'll just be another statistic...just another ...'gang-related shooting'."

Alexia took her friend into her arms, allowing her to sob into her chest to muffle the sound. She paused for a moment as Jess cried into her dress, contemplating just how to calm her down and reassure her that there is a chance (however slim) that they might could make it out of Bahama Mamas alive.

"Listen to me, Jess," said Alexia, who was now on the verge of tears herself. "You're _not_ gonna die tonight. Not on my watch. I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure we get through this...I'm just gonna need your help, okay?"

"Alexia...don't you hear the weapons they have? I-I heard a fucking _minigun_ at one point! And all those high-powered assault rifles, like...I don't see how-"

"I don't know how, either," Alexia was forced to admit as she petted Jess's poofy blonde hair. "But I promise...I'm gonna at least keep _you_ safe. I-I'll shield you from the bullets. Then, you can play dead underneath my body until they leave. Simple."

"No, Alexia! I-I don't like that plan!" Jess objected, shaking her head vigorously. "If I'm gonna stay here, on this fine Earth, then I definitely want you with me. I mean...what's the point in living if you don't have a good running buddy to fuck shit up with, right?"

Alexia managed a smile, which was enough to make Jess smile back.

A thunderous bang, the unmistakable sound of the oak wood door finally being kicked open, diverted the girls' gazes from each other; Alexia silently drew her pistol once again, pointing it at the stall door. Jess followed suit, her gun-wielding hand trembling due to fear and leftover intoxication. Despite the heaviness remaining in her throat from crying, she dared not breath audibly; she struggled to maintain her even and slow breaths as heavy bootsteps sounded, walking down the line of stalls.

Sweat ran down Alexia's forehead as she anticipated the moment when the gang member would finally search around the bathroom enough to discover their hiding place. If her logic upheld, this would also be the moment that all hell would break loose inside the bathroom. If her and Jess were lucky enough to survive a direct confrontation with this man, then they would have to handle the much-larger number of attackers that would have heard the gunfire erupting from the bathroom.

To Alexia's surprise, however, this was very slow to come; in fact, it seemed as if the gang member had stopped searching completely, and was instead breathing heavily and raggedly in front of a distant stall. She heard the screeching noise of hands against tile, which translated in her mind as the man collapsing onto the floor, breathing even louder in the still, air-freshened atmosphere of the nightclub bathroom.

After a while, Jess had had enough of the mystery. She stepped off of the toilet seat, then prepared to tiptoe towards the stall door to open it. Alexia grabbed Jess's arm, obviously concerned for her well-being, but she kindly brushed it away, giving her friend an assuring thumbs-up as she slowly-but-silently unlocked the stall door. She turned on the flashlight to her gun, revealing the mouth-breathing man lying on the white tile floor.

What came as more of a shock to Alexia, though, was the fact that Jessamine then immediately lowered her gun and ran over to the man, stopping to kneel beside him. Curious as to her sudden deviation from combat mode, she hopped off the toilet seat as well, walking over to the aisle that sat in front of the row of stalls.

She witnessed none other than Damien, lying on his side on the floor, his features illuminated by Jess's flashlight, which she had promptly removed from her gun and sat on the floor. She noticed that he looked rather pale, almost feverish, and was noticeably trembling, almost a complete turnaround from the confident, handsome man that she had met not even half an hour ago. Jess was kneeled beside him with a concerned look on her face, tending to him almost like a mother would to her sick child.

"Thank God..." he whispered. "Thank GOD, you two are okay..."

"Yeah, we're fine, Damien," Jess smiled, patting him on one of his broad shoulders. "What, uh...what concerns me is you, though."

"Oh, don't worry about me, Jess." He attempted to chuckle, even though it looked as if the very action pained him greatly. "Believe me, I-I've had worse."

Not knowing what they were talking about at the moment, Alexia took a few steps to her right, revealing what Jess had been looking at on Damien's other side. A large red splotch was now present on his black vest, just above his left hip. Alexia, of course, had shot enough animals to deduce this as a huge bullet wound, caused by a very large bullet from one of the deadly assault rifles that the Roses carried.

Jess grimaced at the wound and Damien's light-hearted prospect of his prognosis, then turned to her friend.

"Hey, Alexia, would you be a doll and close off the bottom of that door over there? They might see the light from the flashlight, and I kinda need it to treat Damien's wound."

Alexia nodded, then proceeded to fumble around the overwhelmingly-dark space, trying to find something that would sufficiently block light from exiting through the small crevice underneath the door. Once she came across the paper towel machine, she made sure to grab a good armful of them and stuff it in the sizable crevice underneath the door, in the hopes that the opaque brown fabric would block the bright white light. She kept her gun pointed at the door as she worked, as the danger of someone else less friendly breaking in was still very real.

Jess, meanwhile, was also hard at work; she grabbed a mini travel-sized first aid kit that she had kept stored in her purse. Although it was clearly a kit designed for minor medical situations, Jess was forced to make the best of the meager supplies. She lifted up Damien's combat vest, exposing his ab-lined stomach and the large bullet wound in his side, then placed a few gauze pads on the profusely-bleeding spot. Then, as Damien held them in place, she skillfully used all of the bandages she had available to wrap all the way around his torso, making sure that each individual gauze pad was not going to move out of place.

Jess sighed, wiping sweat off of her brow.

"That should hold ya' for a while...But we gotta get you to the clinic at the compound, the bullet's too deep for me to take out here."

"Aight...thanks, Nurse Jessamine."

"Mah pleasure, darlin', bless yer heart," she replied in a high-pitched imitation of Bobby June from the Bless Your Heart radio show.

"So, uh...what happened?" Alexia asked Damien once she had finished securing the paper towel barrier. "Um...do you know how they got in here?"

Damien exhaled heavily, shaking his head in dismay.

"They came in through the back alley, we...must not have secured it properly...Then, they...they...those _fuckin' bastards_ blew open the door, and...they started shootin' into the crowd on the dance floor."

Damien's voice wavered at this point, as if he had acquired a lump in his throat from holding back tears.

"Probably half of the people there are dead now, they were...they were ripped to pieces, by those miniguns..."

Alexia recoiled in shock, as she recalled a rather sizable crowd of people being present on the dance floor, which she had estimated at right around 100. The fact that there were currently 50 dead Black Skulls (with possibly more in areas away from the dance floor) was enough to make even the veteran Jessamine cover her mouth, gasping silently.

"But, uh, I managed to escape, fight 'em off for a little while in the bar area, then I got hit and took cover in here...Those of us that are left are tryin' to stop their advance so that we can make a mad dash for the front exit, but we need some serious help. It's...not goin' very well at all."

Alexia turned to Jess, who had her head bowed solemnly, so that her blonde bangs covered her eyes. She seemed to be muttering something under her breath, perhaps in prayer or mourning for her many fallen comrades.

"...We want to help," Alexia spoke for them both. "But, uh, we're kinda low on ammo. Do you have some?"

"Ohh, yeah. Not a problem, I got you two covered."

That being said, Damien then unzipped his combat vest down the front, pulling it apart to reveal both his muscular torso, with several bloodstained bandages still wrapped around his stomach area, and an assortment of many different weapons that lined the inside of the vest, fitted into different holsters that were built into it.

"Pick what ya' like," said Damien, smiling at them.

Alexia, however, took a few seconds to respond to this friendly gesture, as she was very much taken aback by the sight of the bare, nearly-hairless chest of the man who allegedly liked her.

She tried in vain to force her cheeks from turning red; Jess, despite being in the throes of grief, managed a sly smile at this particularly awkward situation.

Eventually, though, she gathered up enough courage to reach inside Damien's vest and grab a Special Carbine rifle, outfitted with a scope and orange camo, as well as a few assorted grenades that she stuffed into her purse. Jess picked out an assault shotgun with a suppressor and a flashlight, adorned with a jet-black camo, and several sticky bombs. Lastly, the two made sure to grab some body armor, which they slipped on over their dresses.

"Y'all ready?" Damien asked as he slipped the black metal-plated skull mask over his head.

"Yes Drill Sergeant!" Jess whisper-screamed, saluting him comedically.

 _"Alrighty then. You two take cover behind those walls, I'm goin out first, since I know what to expect."_

They quickly did so, Alexia taking the right side of the door while Jess pressed her back up against the wall left of the door. Damien had his heavy-duty Combat MG aimed towards the door and, by extension, the many enemies that lay waiting for them on the outside.

He sighed heavily and looked over at Alexia, his eyes downcast.

 _"I know you're new here, Alexia, just...be prepared for a fuckin' shit show, okay?"_

Alexia nodded, understanding of the grim scene that awaited them outside.

Turning towards the door yet again, Damien violently kicked it open and, without hesitating, killed a couple of unexpecting Roses that had taken cover with their backs to the restroom, completely unaware that there were people hiding inside it. Noticing a Rose quickly bolting towards him with a large machete in his hand, Damien promptly slammed the heavy oak door in the gang member's face, incapacitating him long enough so that he could swiftly deliver a single shot to his head.

By this point, of course, every enemy in the building was aware of the people emerging from the restroom, so their sights were now focused mainly on them. Damien barely managed to avoid a hail of artillery and take cover behind an overturned table. The two women, meanwhile, remained in cover behind the tiled walls of the bathroom, firing at the multiple Roses that lined the entire dance floor. On the other side, towards the bar area, were about 20 Black Skulls that remained and were actively trying to repel the enemy.

From Alexia's viewpoint, the ongoing battle looked as if it had reached a deadly stalemate, with a sizable group of Roses on one side, a slightly-smaller platoon of Skulls on the other, and a corpse-littered 'no man's land' in between. Unfortunately for them, the bathroom was situated within this dangerous middle area and slightly to the right, meaning that the trio were much closer to Rose territory than they wanted. The fighting armies did not dare throw grenades or other explosives, as it risked perhaps the whole building collapsing around them, trapping both crews in the smoldering rubble of Bahama Mamas.

The nightclub, which was before lit by various bright neon and strobe fixtures, was now pitch-black, illuminated only by the mounted flashlights on the gang members' weapons. The thick smoke of ignited gunpowder formed a dense, firework-smelling fog that, coupled with the overwhelming stench of death and freshly-spilled bodily fluids, immediately caused Alexia to gag violently; she heaved for a while as if to vomit, but she simply had nothing left in her stomach to do so.

The Skulls nearest the bathroom were now focused on helping their cornered brethren in the womens' restroom; they attempted to increase their firing rate on that side, despite the fact that most of the Roses were well-hidden behind tables and walls. Damien, however, was successful in picking off a few that were strategically located nearest to them, and who posed the greatest risk to their planned attempt to hustle across No Man's Land and regroup with their crew.

After throwing a tear gas bomb to aid in their escape attempt, Damien signaled for Alexia and Jess to follow him, which they readily did. Ducking down past the deadly space, they took care to avoid stepping on or tripping over the many dead bodies that lay within No Man's Land, sprawled out and often missing limbs and other body parts. Alexia understandably grew ever more tense and frightened each time she heard a bullet whiz past her ear or above her head, often missing by mere inches.

Thankfully, the nightmare was over within a few seconds, due to the speed at which they had scurried across the battlefield. Soon enough, they were within the confines of Black Skull territory, where a large barrier had been constructed with tables and chairs. Wounded Skulls had been hastily shoved into a far corner, where a frantic medic was trying in vain to deal with the often-mortal wounds caused by the Roses' heavy-duty weapons. A few blood-spattered corpses, both of Skulls and of unlucky Bahama Mamas employees, were concentrated near the booth where Alexia had previously witnessed two Skulls snorting the mysterious unknown blue powder.

"Nice distraction, D-Man," a heavy Skull wearing a jet-black utility vest congratulated Damien. "That diverted their fire long enough for us to kill a few more down that way. I-I think we could be able to make our escape soon."

 _"Aw man...that's awesome! We might just be able to-"_

"TIME TO BLEEEEEED, SKULL PUSSIES!"

With that bit of profanity came a massive wave of many, many more Roses, this time spilling out of the front entrance of the nightclub. Immediately, an unlucky Skull to Jess's right was shot in the back of the head, splattering blood and brain matter all over her and her fancy cocktail dress.

 **"AW, FUCK! SHIT!"** Jess screamed, both at the sight of her fallen teammate and that her neon-green dress had just been irreparably stained by his blood.

 _"Son of a BITCH! Looks like I jinxed us, guys, we gotta take care of this!"_ Damien yelled, motioning for others to defend the newly-encroached territory.

Alexia, who was lucky enough to avoid the spray of cerebral fluid, wordlessly volunteered to go up to the front and defend the Skulls from being overrun by way of that entrance; with her rapid-firing, versatile Special Carbine that she had grown to greatly adore as she continued firing, she managed to singlehandedly kill a Rose who was too slow to get to cover before other Skulls joined in.

As per a strategy cooked up by Damien, a part of the Skulls' fire remained diverted toward the now-weaker back entrance, while the majority of them now fought off the Roses at the front.

Alexia and Damien fought side-by-side, in the front-most portion of the table barricade. Together, the pair killed many of the new invaders, Alexia even scoring a few noteworthy headshots along the way.

 _"Say, uh...you're not a bad shot,"_ said Damien, obviously impressed by her shooting capabilities.

"Thanks," Alexia replied. She blushed at his compliment as she blind-fired another round into the crowd of Roses.

"I, uh...I'm self-taught, years of hunting up in South Yankton."

 _"Holy shit, self-taught?!"_ Damien shook his head in amazement. _"Wow! Like...completely?!"_

"Yeah, pretty much. I mean, I didn't have anyone to teach me, so I just studied a few of my dad's old VHS tapes of, like, hunting competitions, did what all those guys did. It wasn't that hard."

 _"Oh my God, that...that is so fuckin' awesome!"_ Damien continued, muffled laughter emanating from his mask. _"I thought you were amazing before, but this takes it to a whole new level! I-I'm not sure, but I think I'm...enthralled with you, Alexia!"_

"Really?" Alexia replied, as she reloaded her rifle and stuck her head above cover once again to fire at the enemy. "Like...enthralled as in-"

Alexia didn't have a chance to finish; after a quick impact noise, she suddenly stumbled backwards from her shooting position, sending her spilling onto her back and curling up on the shell-littered floor in severe agony. She had her arms folded around the upper portion of her stomach, where it now felt as if she had just been hit with a baseball bat by a professional Los Santos Corkers player, causing her to curse and scream due to the overwhelming pain.

"OH GOD I...I THINK I'VE BEEN HIT! GODDAMMIT!"

 _"Nah, you're fine, Alexia, don't worry,"_ said Damien, in the smoothest possible voice that she thought capable in this situation. In fact, he continued firing without her, scoring even more kills as she writhed in agony on the floor.

"Fine?! NO, I-I'M NOT FINE! IT FEELS LIKE-"

 _"It hit your armor, Alexia. I saw it,"_ he kindly explained to her.

Utterly astonished at Damien's uncaring attitude towards her injury, she looked down at the camouflage body armor that was covering her torso.

Sure enough, Alexia eventually located a gigantic bullet, nearly 8 millimeters in diameter and originating from a heavy assault MG, buried deep within the tightly-woven, dense mesh that made up the bulletproof vest.

"Holy shit..."

Her breathing grew much heavier. She began to severely clam up as she came to realize that only a couple of inches had just separated her from a likely mortal bullet wound to her stomach.

 _"Yep, it's just, like, the impact kinda knocks the wind outta you, that's all. It feels weird the first time it happens to you, but don't feel bad, i-it happens to the best of us. Trust me."_

"Yeah, Alexia," Jess chimed in; she had been defending the back entrance with another group of Skulls, as she personally wished to give Alexia some 'alone time' with the man that had a crush on her.

"Although, like, you might wake up in the morning with a bit of a bruise on your tummy, since these are some BIG-ASS bullets that they're using."

Alexia sighed, trying her best to shake off the 2nd near-death experience that she had had that day, before looking over and smiling at her friend.

"Man, this hurts like a sumbitch, but...Better than one of those bullets in my gut...I-I guess."

Jess nodded, rubbing Alexia's hair before returning to her post, eager to slaughter those responsible for ruining her dress as well as her long strawberry-blonde hair, which had noticeable bits of brain and even some tiny skull fragments stuck in it.

After taking a half a minute or so to recuperate and regain her composure, Alexia loyally returned to her spot beside Damien, picking off another Rose in the process with a carefully-calculated shot to the forehead. This time, however, she made sure not to leave cover for too long and always varied her shots and angles so that the enemy would not know where to aim next.

Alexia, however, was exactly what many of the Roses had their sights set on. In fact, amongst them, an unspoken price had even been put on her head, as they now knew of her astonishing proficiency with a gun and how she had been methodically picking them all off, almost without fail or hesitation, ever since she had emerged from the women's restroom. This was beginning to prove even more difficult for them over time as Alexia grew ever more comfortable with the mechanics of gunfighting. She also made sure to observe the other Skulls, seeing what tricks and methods they used to improve their performance, and utilized these to gain even more kills and invaluable experience in the field.

Many Skulls couldn't help but simply look at Alexia, the new member, in utmost astonishment as she continued her uninterrupted kill chain, eventually surpassing even Damien, the head assassin and 7-year veteran of the crew, in total body count for the night. Of course, Damien was also one of the people gawking at the stunning woman beside him. He instantly in love with the strangely devious look in her eyes as she blew a Rose's head off, as well as the cute little smile she gave whenever she noticed that he had been distracted from shooting because he had simply been staring at her for too long. He was, in fact, quite enamored with her, and he found it quite difficult to wait until they were out of harm's way to tell her of this.

By this point, Alexia did have some help from the rest of her crew; the back part of the building had been sufficiently cleared of enemies, and most Skulls now concentrated their bullets on the dwindling number of Roses that were desperately trying to defend themselves near the front entrance. The very last kill being awarded to Jessamine, who scored a well-placed heartshot.

Jess was sure to celebrate her accomplishment by wildly humping the air. This garnered laughter and applause from her fellow Skulls, despite her almost losing her balance in the process due to remaining intoxication.

Damien, however, was sure to not let the Skulls celebrate for too long, as they needed to scramble out of the area and retreat to the Black Skull Compound, where the injured could be treated and the news of this devastating event could be unpleasantly delivered to Remus Knight.

As they hustled out of the building, guns aimed at anything that might be waiting for them outside, Alexia took one last look at the nightclub. Her heart spontaneously sunk as she witnessed something far inferior to what she had first walked into. Before, the space had been very vibrant and colorful, filled with the sounds of people laughing and drinking the night away. Now, many of those people lay as motionless corpses, some piled on top of each other, especially towards the site of the main massacre on the dance floor, whose walls were now smeared with human blood.

Closer to her, however, she noticed something else; a lone woman, whom everyone had seemingly forgotten, was crouching in the far corner of the bar table. She had her hands in her face, and her shoulders shook violently as she sobbed. She had long dark brown, almost-black hair and beautiful olive skin, and was wearing something a little more than indecent.

Alexia cautiously went up to the Bahama Mama who had formerly been a bartender, making sure to conceal her weapon so as not to frighten the poor traumatized woman.

"...Hey," she spoke softly, offering a hand to help her up off the glass-strewn floor.

The woman yelped at surprise at first, but managed to calm herself once she recognized the familiar, friendly face in front of her.

"Oh...i-it's you."

"It's okay, I...I want to help you."

After a brief moment of hesitation as she wiped some more tears away, she accepted Alexia's helping hand and stood up next to her. Alexia helped her across the death-strewn floor and over towards the front exit.

"My God..." she whispered, tears still stinging her cheeks. "A-all my friends, my coworkers...they're all dead... _all of them_...I mean, they weren't even involved in this bullshit! None of us were! A-and we just..."

By this point, she had begun to sob yet again. Fortunately for her, Alexia was there to embrace her as she broke down completely, in mourning for her lost stripper friends.

"I-I'm so sorry," Alexia comforted the distraught woman, hugging her tightly. "We need to go though, more of those psychos will be here any second."

The woman nodded, snottily sniffling through the emotional pain that she was currently in.

Another explosion sent the two women sprawling onto the floor.

"Crap! WE GOTTA GO! COME ON!"

The bartender nodded, running to follow Alexia as she got up and made her way towards the front entrance.

As they got nearer to the outside, however, Alexia started to pick up on another sound; that of a low-flying helicopter's blades. She pushed her back up against the wall nearest to the doorway, peeking out for a bit to assess the situation.

Alexia was immediately horrified by what she witnessed; outside, it seemed as if the Roses had aquisitioned a large Annihlator attack helicopter. It was painted a deep blood-red color, and had 2 miniguns mounted on its sides, which, as it hovered only a few feet above the road, were utilized to shoot at the Skulls who had been forced into cover behind some concrete barriers that had been set up next to the entrance.

Two unfortunate Skulls lay dead in the middle of Marathon Avenue, nothing remaining of them except a pulped, bloody mess on the asphalt, showcasing just how powerful these guns were.

As soon as the chopper banked to the right slightly, diverting its fire from her vicinity, Alexia grabbed the bartender's arm and rushed for the nearest barrier, frantically reloading her gun so that she could attempt to take it down.

 _"ALEXIA!"_ Damien sounded frantic. He was panting raggedly as he reloaded his heavy-duty Combat MG. _"What the hell took you so long?!"_

It was at this point that Damien noticed the increasingly frightened Bahama Mama beside Alexia, who was curled up in a fetal position on the ground and rocking back and forth.

 _"...You're seriously gonna bring civilians in on this?! The FUCK is wrong with you?!"_ Damien snapped at her.

"I'm sorry, I..." Alexia started, her shoulders slinked back in embarrassment. "She's...pretty much the last employee here, they killed the rest of them. Besides, I'm pretty sure she's cool, Damien."

"Yeah, I-I'm cool!" the crying woman turned to him, her big brown eyes saturated with tears. "I'm not a snitch, man, I just wanna get the hell outta here!"

Damien sighed and rolled his eyes at her, greatly annoyed by Alexia's unnecessary act of kindness.

 _"Fine. I...guess I don't really have time to protest it right now."_

Not wanting to upset him further in such a stressful situation, Alexia immediately got out her assault rifle and started firing at the helicopter's small front windshield.

However, she soon found that this target was quite difficult to hit because of the pilot's erratic, sometimes-dangerous movements in the air. As soon as this pilot noticed one Skull popping up from their barrier, he was quick to bank in their direction and bombard them with a deadly hail of heavy minigun fire, which gave them small, inadequate windows to get a few shots in before having to duck down behind their barriers once again.

 _"I dunno what to do, Alexia,"_ Damien admitted to her as he reloaded. _"I-I mean, we tried firing homing rockets at it earlier, but this pilot! H-he's gotta be Air Force trained or somethin'! He's been dodgin' all of 'em!"_

Alexia nodded, taking a moment to study the helicopter's movements, looking for any kind of discernible pattern. She was also quick to notice those inside the helicopter; the man on the left side of the helicopter, which she deduced as the main pilot, was responsible for all of the advanced maneuvers that made sure he made a difficult target for the 15 remaining weary Black Skulls below them. On the right side was another Rose, the co-pilot. Alexia noticed that his control stick was much steadier, so she guessed that he was the one controlling the helicopter's mounted gattling guns. She also concluded that, if only the co-pilot was shot, then the main pilot could just as easily reach over and control that area while simultaneously losing some ability to control the aircraft.

 _"What you thinkin'?"_ Damien asked. He was rather fascinated by her prolonged silence and puzzled expression, which suggested she was in the middle of a deep, complicated thought process.

"Um...Okay, I got somethin'. But we need to divert their attention over...this way."

 _"Gotcha."_

Damien then stood up, gun in hand, waving to the menacing chopper.

 _"HEY, ASSFACE!"_

Just as Alexia had predicted, this immediately caused the pilot to turn towards them; Damien crouched down just in the nick of time as bullets began to mercilessly pelt their hiding spot.

Alexia, meanwhile, was busy untying the black sequined sleeved covering that was still secured snugly around her waist from earlier. Damien looked confused as she placed the black garment into his hand.

"Throw that as far over there as you can. And, uh, orientate it so that it looks like a person, running away."

Damien nodded, hurling the garment a good 5 yards to the left of the barricade.

As Alexia predicted, the pilot's instincts automatically caused him to react to the new movement to his right, the devastating power of the chopper's guns shredding the garment into tiny pieces.

 _"God, I hope this works,"_ Alexia silently prayed before she sprung up, not even half a second after the chopper had turned to face the distraction. Luckily, at this point, the chopper was close enough to them, and at such a right-facing orientation, that the sights of Alexia's gun were now pointed directly at the pilot. Immediately, she opened fire on the chopper, making sure to not give them enough time to react.

In all, Alexia fired about 10 or 12 shots at the front-left windshield of the chopper, even though her first bullet successfully hit the pilot square in the forehead, killing him instantly.

His partner being dead, the gun-manning copilot quickly descended into panic mode. With the helicopter going into an uncontrollable spin due to the dead pilot's weight on the control stick, he was forced to completely give up his tight controlling grip on the guns and try to lift his friend's corpse up so that he could reach the controls. This, of course, gave the remaining Skulls plenty of time to make their escape, narrowly avoiding the low-flying helicopter's rotary blades as they scurried across to the other side of Marathon Avenue.

Forming a line along the sidewalk, the remaining Skulls nodded to each other, understanding of the need to finish what they had started.

All 15 of the surviving Skulls simultaneously opened fire on the weakened Annihlator, instantly causing smoke to emit from beneath its top rotor within a few short seconds. This smoke soon turned into flames shooting out of the helicopter, which seemed to spread to elsewhere in the chopper, nearing the cockpit, as it continued to spin.

Then, as if intentionally, the helicopter seemed to tilt backward, away from the Skulls and toward the entrance of the nightclub. It wasn't long before the attack chopper crashed through one of the walls of the club, sending dangerous chunks of brick and mortar sailing through the sky as it was flung by the chopper's increasingly slow-moving rotors.

Alexia immediately had cause to shield her eyes as the chopper exploded, sending a bright flash of heat and white light in the Skulls' direction. The deafening boom that accompanied the explosion sent Alexia's ears into an unpleasant spell of intense ringing; she and the Skulls around her felt the concrete beneath them rumble violently.

When the smoke finally cleared, a strong smell of ignited gasoline accompanying its departure, the Skulls marveled at the incredible sight before them. The entire front half of Bahama Mamas had inexplicably imploded, presumably obliterating any dead or dying gang members and strippers remaining in the building.

The charred carcass of the helicopter lay in the middle of the giant crater. Its formerly dark-red paint job was long gone, replaced now with a charcoal-black coloring, which Alexia thought satisfactorily symbolic in this situation.

As she was enjoying the sight, she was suddenly startled by the loud cheers of all the remaining Skulls, who all gave her hard congratulatory slaps around her back and hugs around her waist and bare shoulders. Jess especially surprised her by picking her up and lifting her a good 2 feet off the ground. Despite it being one of Jess's signature death-grips, pressing on the impact zone of the bullet that put her in such great pain earlier, Alexia did not want to spoil their celebration at surviving the Rose massacre. She grinned brightly as they continued congratulating her spectacular performance that saved all of their lives.

 _"Uh...guys!"_

The Skulls now had their attention focused on Damien, who was standing a few yards away from the tight huddle of Black Skulls gathered around Alexia.

 _"I hate to spoil y'all's good times, but...WE GOTS TAH GET OUTTA HERE!"_

"AYYYY!" all of the Black Skulls shouted at once, excluding Alexia, who was not aware of this apparent inside joke involving Damien.

"Liberty City, paisanos!" added a wounded Black Skull who had been limping with the help of one of his buddies.

After a brief chuckling period, Damien quickly ushered his crew and the rescued former Bahama Mama down the alleyway that contained all of their vehicles.

Jess and Alexia, anticipating another possible wave of Rose attackers, abstained from entering Alexia's tiny, non-bulletproof car and instead hitched a ride in Damien's seemingly-impenetrable black LAPV Insurgent that had a very large turreted machine gun mounted on its roof. Alexia and Jess made sure to sit in the back, where they could have easy access to this gun if so needed. The former bartender sat in the front seat, with Damien getting cozy in his spacious drivers' seat, removing his cumbersome armored mask in the process.

"Alright, guys, you know the drill," Damien communicated through a radio system built into the dashboard. "We move in an orderly fashion, and do not let our guard down. We're goin' to the compound, so let's not bring any assholes along with us. You know how the boss hates people that are...assholes."

A few response messages channeled through Damien's speakers, confirming that his message registered as clear to them.

Damien cranked the key, a monstrous bellowing erupting from the engine.

"So, uh, we're going to the compound?" Alexia asked as they accelerated forward out of the alleyway.

"Yeah. You ever been there?"

Alexia shook her head no, indicating her desire to know more about the Black Skull headquarters.

"Well, it's kind of an unconventional homebase. It's a...luxury apartment. Well, it used to be, before the boss bought it out one day. And, uh, by 'bought it out', I mean 'bludgeoned the former landlord to death when he refused to hand it over, then evicted or killed all the former tenants'. I-it's just the boss's way, really."

Alexia nodded, understanding of her uncle's famously-brutal way with people.

"But, uh, it's not a high-rise apartment anymore, per se, it just...looks like that. On the inside, it is a FUCKING MONSTER. We got an 80-car garage, capable of storing a small army, and we got shooting ranges, offices for the boss and his commissioners, a small bar, and even a friggin' medical clinic, 'cause we Black Skulls can't go to regular hospitals, we'd be profiled. Really, I'd say we have it pretty good as a crew, thanks to his hard work renovating the place-"

"Uhh, guys," said the former bartender. "I think somebody might be after us!"

Damien promptly looked over his shoulder, the two women in the back soon doing the same.

Sure enough, a multitude of bright xenon headlights, forming a line across all 4 lanes of traffic, were currently speeding toward the escaping Black Skulls, horns blaring menacingly. As they approached the Skull convoy, these headlights were revealed to belong to many large vehicles, including mostly turreted Insurgents, but also a few Dubsta 6x6's, Guardians, and even a curious Turreted Limo, which drove at the head of the entire pack of Roses.

"Shit...Good eye, girl I don't know," Damien congratulated her.

He immediately picked up his communicative radio, informing other Skulls of the fast-approaching threat.

"Alright, boys, looks like we got company. Let's hang a right turn, lead these dicks as FAR AWAY from the home nest as possible."

 _"Affirmative,"_ a baritone voice sounded through the other end.

 _"Let's bust some ass, y'all!"_

Damien, who was at the front of the pack, performed a sharp right turn down a small road that careened down a hill, the other Skulls following close behind.

The enemy, meanwhile, was now practically right on top of them, shooting and attempting to ram the Skulls' vehicles off the road so they could corner and kill the survivors of the massacre.

"Hey, Alexia, can I use the big gun first? It's just kind of a...revenge thing," said Jess, referring to her bloodstained dress and hair.

"Sure," Alexia confirmed, shrugging.

Jess squealed excitedly. She opened the metal hatch on the roof, then stood up in her seat so that she could easily maneuver and aim the large machine gun that she now controlled.

"ALRIGHT, THIS IS FOR RUINING MY DRESS, YA' MELODRAMATIC BOTANISTS! GRRRRUUUAAAARRGGHH!"

Jess opened fire on the Rose's vehicles, which immediately sent a hail of return fire in her direction. However, this time, the Skulls were fully prepared for the Rose assault, the 4 Insurgents that made up their convoy having all passengers and drivers actively repulsing the enemy threat.

Of course, all of this was taking place on the busy Vinewood strip at a popular time of night, so many pedestrians were unfortunately caught in the crossfire or mercilessly flattened by an Insurgent from either side of the battle.

Alexia had both shoulders sticking out of her window, using her Special Carbine to hopefully pick off one of the drivers or an exposed machine-gun operator. Even the former bartender joined in; Damien had given her a small 9mm pistol so that she could feel like she was helping. However, both of them soon found it quite difficult to shoot out of a vehicle that was moving at 100 mph and constantly taking many turns and swerves to throw off the Rose gunners.

"Yeahhh, you like that?! THEN TASTE SOME OF THIS!"

Alexia heard Jess screaming her lungs out at the Roses, obviously enjoying herself on top of the Insurgent as she successfully downed the driver of a pursuing vehicle.

"HAH! Get rekt, skrub, you ain't got NO skill! Ooooh, and you think you're all _soooo_ cool and mysterious because you, what, paint everything dark red? Like-like the blood of your enemies, or some shit? Biiiitch, my fuckin' PERIOD BLOOD is more menacing than all y'all asses, COMBINED! I bet you don't even have a-"

 _"Jess..."_ She heard Alexia speak, followed by a wheezy laugh. _"Jess,_ _tone it down for God's sake, I-I can't fucking breathe!"_

Jess briefly looked down from her post so see Alexia, crumpled down in her seat in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. It was coming on so hard that she looked as if she was short of breath, coming in only soft, high-pitched exhales that made her shoulders shake violently with chuckles.

The bartender woman was effectively collapsed as well, her cheeks visibly turning red and tears streaming down her face from laughing so intensely.

"Sorry...I-I think I let it all out now," said Jess as she sat back down, folding her hands over her lap and grinning timidly.

"Uh...y'know, I'm glad we're capable of having fun like this together, especially in the face of imminent death," Damien interrupted, chuckling at Jess's comedic insults but trying to keep focused on the task. "Let's just try and keep it...tame."

"Gotcha. I-I think I'll give Alexia a turn, i-if she wants to, that is."

"Uh..."

Alexia let out a few last giggles and wiped away some laughter-induced tears before turning to her friend.

"...Fuck it, why not?"

"Alright, girl! You gon' do great, get up there!"

Alexia attempted to steady herself in the fast-moving Insurgent so that she could stand up to reach the hatch that led to the turret post on top.

She managed to spring up out of her sitting position and grasp onto the sides of the metal hatch, using them as a sturdy support so that she could stand up on her seat and reach the controls of the machine gun.

As soon as she was in the proper position, the first thing Alexia felt was an intense blast of wind in her face, which she initially had to shield herself from. It also blew her short black hair in all different directions, more often than not ending up annoyingly in front of one or both of her eyes.

Nonetheless, she soon took control of the heavy-firing machine gun in front of her, briefly testing out how to move and maneuver it in her position before she started firing at the enemy. This would easily be the biggest weapon that she had ever fired, so she wanted to make sure that she could handle its massive firing capabilities.

She carefully took aim at a Rose Insurgent through the gun's mounted scope and squeezed the trigger, sending an anticipated heavy recoil towards her and a bullet sailing right past her target. Taking note of the wind and its effect on the heavy rounds that the gun must use, she tried again, this time striking the windshield of an Insurgent, but missing the people inside it by a few inches.

"For God's sakes, Alexia, let 'em have it!" Damien shouted at her from inside the Insurgent. "That's a machine gun that does 500 rpm easy, so there's no need to be careful!"

"500...Damn, that's pretty bitchin'," Alexia whispered in awe as she looked down at the gun at her fingertips.

She took aim yet again, this time squeezing the trigger so that multiple shots now emitted from the barrel. As she further got used to this gun and how it fired, she scored a few more successful hits, eventually even killing the driver of a Rose Insurgent, forcing it off the road and into an empty convenience store.

"WHOO! That's what I'm talkin' bout!" Damien congratulated her.

With excess amounts of adrenaline now pumping through her bloodstream, Alexia grinned widely, aiming towards an enemy Insurgent that was currently smashing into her Insurgent's rear, attempting to forcefully ram it off the road. However, it was soon met with utter hellfire from Alexia's position, taking out the driver and badly wounding the gangster in the passenger seat. Alexia had to consider this a 2-for-1 because as the dead Rose's Insurgent suddenly slowed, a faster-moving truck behind it suddenly plowed into the back of it, incapacitating both vehicles.

"Yo, guys! There's only a few of them left!" Alexia heard Damien shout into his walkie-talkie. "What do you say we take this party _off-road_?!"

She couldn't quite pick out exact responses from the other Skulls, but they did seem to sound overwhelmingly positive in favor of this suggestion.

Damien did not hesitate to hop the nearest curb off of Mirror Park Boulevard and into the nearby Tataviam Mountains, whose peaks jutted out right next to the Land Act Dam.

Alexia felt a sharp jerk forwards as the Insurgent started a massive uphill climb, which gave her a slight advantage as she continued to pick off the other vehicles slightly below her.

This climb up the desolate mountain continued until most of the remaining attackers had been successfully incapacitated or killed. The only vehicle that remained was the ever-more-curious Turreted Limo, which had the same military-grade gun that Alexia operated mounted on its roof.

Alexia was forced to duck down as her turret was suddenly pelted by bullets from this long armored vehicle that did stunningly well off-road.

She looked behind her briefly, only to grow horrified at the track that her Insurgent was currently taking. Ahead of them, the ground dipped down into a massive grassy cliff, probably thousands of feet below them, which Damien showed no signs of trying to avoid. In fact, he even sped up slightly, while at the same time keeping a completely straight path.

"Damien, cliff! CLIFF!" Alexia shouted in a shrill, panicked voice.

"Yeahh, I know. That's...kinda the plan," Damien answered her, chuckling at her.

As much as Alexia wanted to trust him, she could not conceive of any possible way that they could survive a 2,000-foot fall, even in a heavy armored vehicle like this.

"BLACK SKULLS UNTIL DEATH, BITCHES!" Damien shouted, the crest of the cliff growing ever more closer.

"HOLY FUUUUUUUCCCCKK!" Alexia screamed as Damien and the rest of the Skull Insurgents careened off the mountain peak, sailing a good 25 yards or so in the air before gravity finally got a chance to grab hold of the heavy armored vehicles.

Alexia was holding onto the machine gun for dear life as a dreadful falling sensation filled the pit of her stomach. Because she had no seatbelts in her standing position, her grip on the gun was likely the only thing keeping her in the vehicle as the ground grew closer.

At last, the Insurgent made hard contact with the ground, the other Skull Insurgents soon following close behind. The last object to collide with the ground was the Rose's limo, which unfortunately landed not on its wheels, but slammed front-first into the dirt. This, predictably, caused the entire vehicle to explode violently, launching chunks of burning hot metal and Rose body parts into the air.

A loud cheer simultaneously erupted from the Skull vehicles, as they had not only survived another wave of Rose attacks, but did so without any new casualties or even injuries.

The only Skull who even seemed to be in pain was Alexia, as the impact had sent shockwaves from the machine gun she had been holding onto directly into the developing bruise on her stomach, which brutally knocked the wind out of her for a second time.

"Fuckin' HELL, MAN! SHIT..." Alexia breathed raggedly as she steadied her still-trembling body back into the interior of the Insurgent, lying down and hugging her knees to her chest in an effort to suppress the excruciating pain in her gut.

Jess immediately stopped celebrating to scoot next to her friend, petting her hair to comfort her fear-stricken friend.

"You okay, Lexi?" she asked in a soft, motherly voice.

"Yeah, just...DAMN...That was HEAVY..."

"I'm sorry, Alexia. I'll admit, I was kinda...reckless back there," said Damien. "I shoulda told you of the plan first, so you could-."

"Th-that's okay. You did your best, given the...situation..." Alexia attempted a smile, despite the pain she was in.

"Y-you saved me!" The bartender suddenly spoke, tears again forming in her eyes. "Th-thank you! Thank you so much!"

The former stripper the unexpectedly reached over in her seat and kissed Alexia several times on the face, despite her desperate attempts to brush the thankful woman off. To her horror, this left many large, noticeable red lip marks on her cheeks and forehead.

"Heyyy, I saved you too!" Jess protested, leaning forward in her seat.

Turning her cheek, Jess smiled as the bartender gave her a kiss as well, leaving an identical lipstick smudge.

Without even asking for it, Damien also received a prolonged smooch on his cheek, which stained most of the hairs on his developing beard. Afterwards, she made sure to slip him a small pink card, which he started to examine.

"...The hell is this?" he asked, looking at the card with befuddlement.

"M-my business card," she stammered, twirling one of her locks of dark brown hair nervously. "Since I'm...kinda out of a job now, y'know, I-I'm available for, like, birthdays, bachelor parties, or just, like...private dances. Y'know, i-it'd just be greatly appreciated."

"Yeah, well...we'll see. But, uh, just between you and me, I...don't think that the Skulls will be partying anytime soon."

"Okay..." the former bartender nodded understandingly. "Is it just because it's...too soon, or something?"

"Not exactly..."

Damien paused for a moment, his gaze becoming ever more serious.

"I think we'll be...goin' to war. Like, with the Roses."

The atmosphere inside the Insurgent suddenly grew deathly silent as the people inside contemplated the possibility and consequences of a bloody gang war, with possibly many more casualties and shootouts awaiting them in the coming months or possibly years.

"I mean, I don't know for sure or anything," Damien spoke as he accelerated through a crevasse and onto a narrow dirt road that led back to the city. "But, uh...You know the boss is NOT a peace talker. N-not with his temperament. I'm assuming he's already heard the news, and I'm positive that he's not a happy camper right now. The rage he must feel, a-at being embarrassed like this...I can't even imagine..."

Alexia could not help but fully agree with Damien's prospects of the near future. She was very much aware of her uncle's violent, rage-induced tendencies, especially under duress and pressure from outside forces. She remembered all the times she saw him as a toddler, before he moved to Los Santos, when he'd react to a simple bee sting or stubbed toe with such aggressive cursing that her mother would often have to cover her ears for minutes on end. One time in particular, she recalled him driving her to the gas station to get a soda, another driver backing out of the parking lot accidentally dinged the bumper of his car, so he responded the only way he knew how; getting a shotgun out of the trunk and blasting the driver's back windshield open as he was speeding away, probably injuring him severely. She remembered being taken home in a hurry as she innocently sipped her bottle of Sprunk, then not seeing him at all for a few months.

Nonetheless, Alexia greatly loved her uncle, and even though he could not express much emotion outwardly, she felt that the feeling was mutual. He once admitted to her that she reminded him very much of his brother (Alexia's deceased father), and she presumed this was the reason he always treated her so well. They even shared heavily-onset thoughts of violence and hatred when pushed to a certain limit, although for Alexia, this limit was much higher than it was for him, and she tended to be very remorseful after she had done something terrible out of anger.

The towering Los Santos skyline soon came into view through the mountain pass, illuminated just as they were the night before, when Alexia had first stepped off the plane. She found it even more beautiful from this distance, as the dark dirt road and mountains around them contrasted perfectly with the bright monoliths in the sky giving the clouds the same orange tint against the midnight-blue sky that stretched out behind them. Alexia still thought of them as extremely beautiful, a testament to man's engineering capabilities, and stared silently at them all throughout the long, unpleasant trip back to the Black Skull Compound.


	9. Interfacing With Your Boss

Before heading off to the compound, Damien made sure to make a brief stop at the Alta Place apartment complex where the former Bahama Mamas employee lived. Damien kindly offered to be a credible reference for her to join the Skulls, but she was forced to politely decline, citing that given her experiences so far with the crew, she did not believe she was cut out for a criminal career. As soon as the unemployed bartender was out of sight, Alexia quickly removed the multiple bright red lipstick smudges with some handy makeup remover provided by Jess.

At last, the Black Skull headquarters was in sight, a 27-story high-rise building situated cozily within West Vinewood, not far from an exclusive golf course and the ritzy Rockford Hills neighborhood that Alexia and Jess had visited earlier that day. Formerly known as 'Eclipse Towers' (judging by the unchanged and slightly-faded letters above the glass entryway), it was now, according to Damien's wondrous description, the sprawling center of Black Skull activity, which by extension meant the center of most organized crime across the whole state of San Andreas, because any criminal organization with good judgment knew well enough to pay a sizable monthly tribute to the Skulls. Some, such as the notorious Madrazo family, even decided to ally with them, to further ensure that Remus Knight would not order them obliterated if something were to go wrong in their often-turbulent relationship with other gangs and crews.

Before Damien entered the garage, he made sure to check in with a security guard whose job was to monitor the entrance with a high-powered security camera and whom controlled the door to the massive Black Skull garage. This stationary Skull allowed each vehicle inside, as the entire rest of the crew had been anxiously expecting their arrival. She noticed a much-more-pained expression on Damien's face as they neared the inside of the garage, perhaps because the adrenaline of the shootout and subsequent high-speed chase had worn off, and the agonizing pain from his bullet wound was finally catching up with him.

Upon exiting their vehicles, a lone Black Skull guard escorted all of them to the humongous apartment lobby, where they could each be quickly accounted for and the number of survivors of the Rose massacre could be sent to Remus Knight. Alexia noticed the surveyors shaking their heads grimly as they did this, due to the very low number of people that made it out of the nightclub alive.

Immediately afterwards, the seriously wounded, such as Damien, were taken to the nearby infirmary for treatment. One of the Skulls asked Alexia if she too was injured, as she was currently hunched over from continuous abdominal pain in her sitting position on a sofa, but she declined help so that the more seriously wounded could be treated. This same Skull then kindly offered Jess a nice warm shower, so that she could wash off all the blood and bits of brain that clung to her skin and hair. Predictably, she jumped at the opportunity, taking the key to this Skull's living space within the compound. She carefully hugged him, so as to not stain his clothes as well, before rushing to the elevator to reach his room on the 13th floor.

Without Damien or Jess by her side, Alexia couldn't help but notice that she was now all alone on the plaid sofa she sat on. Finally getting a moment to herself after a very strenuous day, she rested her face in her cupped hands, exhaling heavily to hopefully alleviate the persistent pain in her upper stomach region. She also did this in order to calm herself, as she still found herself severely stressed over many significant events that were to come, the most important of which were her uncle's reaction to this devastating slaughter of his crew, as well as Damien's health, as she noticed how he had looked so pale and sickly as he was being escorted to the medical clinic. She was sorely afraid that he had perhaps over-exerted himself while leading the Black Skulls through multiple waves of Rose attacks, perhaps even agitating his wound and making it worse.

"...You must be Remus's niece." Alexia was suddenly startled by a rough, deep voice carrying a very thick Spanish accent.

She lifted her eyes upward to see a fairly tall Hispanic man standing before her. His uniformly-blue suit and the fact that he was an older man, possessing white hair and apparent bags under his eyelids, Alexia guessed that he was allowed into the compound because he was important in some way.

Nonetheless, she still hesitated to tell this man of her family connections, as she had no idea who this man was.

"Um...who are you?"

"You do not know me?"

"No, I...don't think so," Alexia admitted, shaking her head slightly.

"I mean, he told me you were new here, but every criminal should know...Well, anyway, I suppose I shall just tell you...I am Martin Madrazo. I run a Mexican-American organization based in the city, but we are allied with the Skulls. I, um, also know your uncle very well, we have been friends for quite some time."

"O-oh yeah, I think I've...heard of you before, actually."

In the distal corners of her memory, Alexia was able to recall one or two times that she had heard this particular name on her local Weazel News station, and she was most positive it was mentioned in the context of a major crime relating to a mafia-style hit.

"Glad to know. I, uh, came here as soon as I heard of...what happened. I'm going to offer my condolences and assistance to Remus. I can only imagine the distress he must be in at the moment."

"Yeah. Really though, I...don't think I'd be very happy either, if I was leading the crew."

"Oh, but you should know though. I mean, it must be much worse for you because you were there. H-how exactly did it...occur?"

Alexia sighed, leaning back on her sofa. Martin, who was currently invested in her potential testimony, took a seat next to her.

"They just...ambushed us. They got through security somehow, I have no fucking idea how. B-but they didn't stop there either. They just kept...coming and coming, wave after wave. It was like...they were trying to take us all out."

"Well...when I was talking with Remus the other day, he did also mention that you were very skilled with...firearms. In fact, he said you were comparable to some of his best snipers and gunners, even without any formal training."

Martin glanced down at the orange Special Carbine rifle that Alexia had sat by her feet on the floor.

He continued. "I-I'm just guessing that this...helped you, to survive?"

"Um...yeah. I-it did, a lot, actually...It helped me to kill a lot of them, in fact so many that I eventually just...lost count..."

Alexia suddenly realized the exact context of this statement as she said it, trailing off quietly as her mind cycled through random moments that she had mercilessly killed, almost as if it was some sort of competitive sport for the most kills possible. In the heat of the moment, she had thought of nothing else but survival, getting her and the crew out of harm's way. But now, in her more relaxed state, elaborating on what she had done only induced a massive wave of guilt and moral malfunction.

She buried her face in her hands yet again, exhaling and trying her best to hold back stress-induced tears and grief whilst she had a veteran crime lord sitting next to her, who might think of her as weak or unworthy if she showed emotion.

"Do not feel bad about that," he tried to assure her in the same gruff voice. "We do what we have to do to survive. All of us. The first few kills are never easy, but after a while, it just becomes very methodical, like...pest control. Believe me, I do it all the time."

While this did little to comfort the raging forces of moral guilt inside her, Alexia still nodded, struggling to restrain her emotions as she looked up at him.

"Listen, um..."

Martin reached into the left pocket of his open blue sport coat, handing a small, featureless white card to Alexia with his contact information written on it.

"I know you have been through much hardship tonight, but when you are ready...I often have many opportunities for jobs or work. I run a very big organization, so as such, there are often many problems springing up that I need assistance with. Just...call me sometime, if you are interested."

"Okay. I-I will," Alexia confirmed, her voice now slightly louder and more confident as she stuffed the card in her pocketbook. "I won't let you down on that."

"I am sure you won't...I must be going. It was very nice meeting you, Alexia."

"Likewise."

She smiled as Martin wordlessly got up from his seat, making his way across the lobby to the elevator to reach his friend Remus Knight's office, which was appropriately placed at the very top floor of the apartment, in a spacious penthouse.

Alexia, meanwhile, stayed firmly planted on the couch, twiddling her thumbs and patiently waiting for Jess to finish showering and, even more importantly, some kind of confirmation on Damien's current status.

As her long wait progressed, a stray Black Skull would occasionally pass by her line of sight, stopping to congratulate her on the excellent job she had done helping to fight off the Roses. For some, this meant just a passing 'Good job, new girl', but some of these people, such as some of the uninjured survivors of the massacre, stopped for a quite a bit longer to express their innermost sentiment for her having saved their lives. From what these people were telling her, word was quickly spreading around the building of the new black-haired girl that showed such prowess with a weapon that she left even senior veterans in her dust.

Of course, Alexia had never, in her entire existence, enjoyed being the center of everyone's attention, so all of these glowing reviews of her at once, while quite flattering, did cause a level of mild discomfort for such an introverted young woman. Regardless, she was sure to smile and accept their showers of warm compliments, while making sure to not overly self-indulge her own accomplishments.

Eventually, she was relieved of this duty when an exhausted-looking Jess returned from cleansing herself and plopped down on the couch next to her. To Alexia, it looked as if she had completely succeeded in this endeavor, as any and all traces of gore had now been removed. Her hair, of course, was still wet, causing it to lose the poofy, unruly countenance that Alexia was used to. All of the makeup she had applied for the party had been effectively washed off with the blood and brain tissue, and she was no longer wearing her irreparably-damaged green dress. Instead, she had on a very casual white T-shirt and sweatpants, both of which were more than a few sizes too big for her, that she had presumably borrowed from the courteous Skull's wardrobe.

"Man...There was just...so much of it... _soooo_ much of it, Alexia," she said, looking rather sad and defeated as she turned towards her friend.

Alexia reached over and gave her a comforting hug. She felt Jess's shoulders droop considerably as she sighed, letting herself relax as she leaned on her friend's body.

"What makes it extra fucked-up is that I totally knew that guy too...Darrin...H-he totally owed me 50 bucks, from a L.S. Benders game a few weeks ago...He was such a good guy, too...A little touchy-feely sometimes, but overall, he was a very good friend...Th-this whole thing, though...I've never been through anything as bad as this, in my entire career. I don't think Damien has either, or any of the other Skulls..."

"Yeah, I-I knew it was bad. I guess the Skulls don't normally get...surprised, like this."

"No, never! I mean...I've been in the crew nearly 4 years, okay? And we haven't so much as lost a freakin' battle, Alexia...Everyone's just so...terrified right now that all the other crews in the city are gonna think we're...getting weaker..."

Alexia did not know exactly how to respond to this worrisome sentiment, so she decided to continue stroking her friend's scalp, helping to ease her heavy conscience, just as she had done for her multiple times today.

"Do you think Damien's gonna be okay?" Alexia asked. "He just looked way worse to me, as we got closer to the compound."

"Yeah...Yeah, I think so," Jess opined, wrapping an arm around Alexia's waist. "Just so y'know, we got _really_ good doctors here. I've heard the boss often recruits 'em by paying for their malpractice suit costs, but still...They're good because they know if they fuck up, he's gonna be super pissed at them. Like, they've pulled more bullets and pieces of shrapnel outta me than I can even count...So yeah, I-I think Damien's gonna be fine. Don't worry."

The two sat silently for a while, mutually comforting each other by means of silently hugging and resting their heads against each other's bodies. Both women were equally exhausted, Alexia even nearly falling asleep in Jess's arms.

Unfortunately, she was awakened by several short buzzing tones, emitting from a loudspeaker that was mounted onto the ceiling of the lobby, near the former doorman's desk. Accordingly, several Skulls around them promptly sat up and walked over closer, where they could more easily hear. Jess followed them, ushering Alexia to follow.

They situated themselves near the back of the gathered crowd, who were all expecting what Alexia expected to be some sort of announcement or message to the grieving crew.

 ** _"Fellow Black Skulls..."_** Alexia heard her uncle's voice ring through the speakers and echo through the lobby. _**"As you all know, nearly 2 hours ago, we as a crew...were attacked...attacked by a very large group of armed hoods associated with the Roses of Death...Now, from what we have gathered, this attack was very much planned by them, possibly for several months, or more. And, while we're still trying to sort out some details, we also believe that they bypassed all of our security measures at the nightclub through...a mole...a traitor, posing as a loyal** **Skull in security detail."**_

The Skulls in the room collectively gasped and muttered among themselves frantically at this shocking information from their leader. The idea of a massacre was hard enough to believe as it was, but the pure thought of betraying the most powerful, far-reaching group in San Andreas was even more unthinkable, which made the gathered Skulls quite outraged and angry.

A big, shaky sigh coming from the loudspeaker suggested that Remus Knight was struggling to withhold his fuming rage as well.

 _ **"Yes, I imagine you're all quite furious right now. I know I am...But, clearly...you all know what is to come next, in the coming months...A PROPER retaliation against the Roses..."**_

The gathering suddenly turned from shouting and angry to still and eerily silent. The Skulls continued to stare up at the monitor above them for Remus Knight's next announcement concerning their next move.

 _ **"Yes, I am afraid that our only recourse is a total...gang war...against the Roses, and of course, their allies. I promise you that we shall also find this repulsive, spineless traitor and put him and his associates down BRUTALLY...My friends, brothers...We cannot allow a humiliation such as this to stand, I...think you are all fully aware of that. Of course, it shall take many months, perhaps many years...But I can assure you all that no matter how long it takes...Every. Single. Skull that perished on this night, all 145 of them...They shall all be avenged. All of them...Black Skulls until death."**_

 _"AND FOREVER IN BLOOD!"_ all of the Skulls in the room simultaneously shouted, saluting the sound of their leader's voice.

Alexia, of course, had no prior knowledge of this procedure, so the initial shouting scared her beyond relief. Nonetheless, she attempted to follow what was going on, despite being a good three seconds late for the salute.

 _ **"That is all the information I have right now. I shall contact you all later about the exact procedures for our counterattack. Until then, I urge all of you to start preparing yourselves. Use our shooting ranges, purchase ammunition, even practice fighting with some lower-end gangsters...But overall...make sure that you carry the memories of those taken from you in your hearts, and think of them as you contemplate the things that are to come for the Black Skulls. Thank you."**_

Thinking the announcement to be over, Skulls started moving away from the intercom system, some in tears, some so angry that they resorted to punching the nearest wall. Nonetheless, it was apparent that Remus Knight's message had come through clearly to all who heard it, and that all those present were certainly inspired to make the Roses, and everyone associated with them, pay for their actions tonight.

As everyone was turned away, however, another set of high-pitched tones stopped all the Skulls in their tracks. They immediately snapped back to face the intercom, awaiting perhaps something that their leader had forgotten to mention.

 _ **"Erm, one final announcement,"**_ Remus Knight added, sounding slightly embarrassed that he had forgotten to mention something. _**"Both Alexia and Jessamine need to come to my office. IMMEDIATELY."**_

Almost directly afterwards, one of the Black Skull guards that had escorted them into the building appeared beside them, ushering them in the direction of the elevator. They, of course, proceeded to follow them through the maze of people gathered in the lobby, some staring at them as they made their way across and to the door of the elevator, where the guard was waiting for them.

Holding the door open until they were both inside, the guard then proceeded to press the button for the topmost floor that the hotel possessed, 27, the location of Remus Knight's spacious executive office within the Black Skull headquarters.

"Alexia?"

She suddenly recognized a deep, rough baritone voice that the guard possessed.

Sure enough, turning towards him revealed this particular guard of Remus Knight's to be the burly and courteous Black Skull that had greeted her as she had stepped out of Lamar Davis' foul-smelling car on her first day in Los Santos.

"Oh, h-hey," she greeted him back, waving shyly to the supersized man in front of her. "Good to see you."

"You look a lot...different than when I last saw you. Did you get a...?"

"Yeah, I think it's just the haircut and this awesome dress that this...lovely lady bought for me."

Alexia pointed towards Jess, who smiled and gave a silent peace sign to him.

"Oh yeah, that makes sense. I guess it's just been a while since I've seen ya'. Er, it certainly feels like a while, after everything that's...happened..."

"Well...you heard the boss. I'm sure we'll get it all taken care of soon. As long as we get our rep back, show 'em who truly rules the streets, I-I think it'll be okay."

"Yeah, I certainly hope so..." the guard replied, his warm smile dissipating. He looked to the ground, as if in a spell of deep troubled thought.

At this point, the elevator door opened, leading to a spooky-looking dark passage, which Alexia thought as being akin to the entrance to a cold, evil setting that you'd find in horror movies. The space was deathly silent, save for the guard's humongous footsteps as he strolled down the hall, Alexia and Jess following him.

As he led them through the thick maze of dark hallways and corridors, however, Alexia picked out another sound; a piece of dynamics-heavy classical music, which got louder and clearer as it echoed down the halls.

Of course, there were quite a few stops along the way; the guard's navigation among the increasingly-darker maze was hindered only by points with metal doors where he had to swipe a specialized card, which acted as an all-access pass to his boss's office.

Finally, they passed the third and final checkpoint, and came upon a very tall and imposing wooden door that was painted a menacing jet-black color. All of this macabre decor, of course, was enough to make even Alexia uncomfortable and scared, even though she knew that it was her own uncle on the other side. Holding Jessamine's hand, Alexia noticed that she was trembling slightly, either as a result of the bitter cold of the penthouse or completely-understandable fear in this pitch-black setting. Alexia soon wished that her sleeved covering hadn't been destroyed by the Rose helicopter, as the cold was starting to form large goosebumps on her bare arms.

"He's right through there," the guard informed them, in a nice, but hushed tone. "I'll be waiting outside to escort ya' back out."

The women thanked him before stepping up to the door. Alexia turned the handle, and they both stepped inside.

Upon opening the door, Alexia noticed that the echoing music from earlier was now much louder, but the sound of such gloomy tones played in a menacing minor key was still very unsettling in this sinister atmosphere. Alexia was also able to pick out the particular opera that played from the wall-mounted speakers on one side of the office. She even came to recognize the exact tune that was coming from them; it was the epic final part of "Tartini Violin Sonata in G Minor", which Alexia explicitly remembered him playing over the stereo in his car all those years ago, when she had gotten to see him frequently.

On the other side of this still-dimly-lit office space, she noticed a very tall and slender figure standing in front of the bay window that graced the wall closest to his dark-oak desk. Alexia's uncle was dressed head-to-toe in a charcoal-black suit and matching black fedora, which almost caused him to blend in amongst the night sky that he was silently studying. He was standing completely straight, almost as if he was at military attention, with one hand behind his back and the other holding a monstrous Cuban cigar, which he was currently smoking. This posture, of course, was enough to show what a tall and lanky man that he was; he stood about 6 feet, 8 and a half inches tall, if Alexia remembered correctly.

"...Sit down, you two," he said to them after a few uncomfortable seconds, motioning toward his long, dark-oak desk that had chairs on either side.

Alexia was the first to walk over to the desk and sit in one of the leather-padded chairs on one side of it, while Jess joined her shortly afterward, sitting beside her. One thing they immediately noticed, as they faced the window, was a clearly-visible column of smoke in the distance, likely the raging inferno that constituted the rubble of Bahama Mamas.

After taking a few moments to finish his cigar, Remus Knight sat it on his desk (along with the scraps of a few others) and turned to face the two women that he had called into his office.

Immediately, the one thing she noticed most different about her uncle was how progressively he had aged in the 10 years since she had last seen him. Deep, groovy wrinkles lined every corner of his emotionless face, their dark appearance making for a ghoulish contrast with his white, sun-starved skin. He had long fingers that were attenuated and bony, with short and rough fingernails that looked as if they had been chewed almost to the quick. He also sported many long gashes and scars across his face, but these were features which Alexia was previously aware existed. If what he told her was true, he had acquired them whilst serving in the Vietnam War, as he was held and brutally tortured for 16 months in a Viet Cong P.O.W. camp, the infamous 'Hanoi Hilton'.

Remus groaned slightly as he bent to sit down in his luxurious leather-bound armchair, which sported professional-grade wooden carvings of skulls on both its arms. He rested his elbow on one of these and used his other hand to remove his black fedora, revealing a short head of graying black hair and even a few liver spots. He then gingerly placed the hat onto his already-very-cluttered desk. The majority of this clutter consisted of several hundred papers, which had drawings, finances, or plans for future attacks scribbled on them in rudimentary, but legible cursive. Criminals of Remus' caliber were usually very hesitant to use technology for executing their operations, as it more often than not left behind incriminating evidence on a hard drive.

Technological fears aside, he did still possess a tiny remote control, which he used to turn off the macabre violin music coming from the speakers. He then cleared his throat violently before finally beginning to speak to his two guests.

"So...Alexia," he started, mulling over a few stray papers as he talked to her. "Some Skulls were coming to talk to me earlier, and they just...they could not stop telling me about your heroic actions, down at the nightclub. I heard you helped to save many lives, actually."

"It, uh...it wasn't heroic, I don't think. I was just...doin' my job, y'know," Alexia answered, smiling.

Jess grinned at her friend's good answer, while Remus simply nodded, attempting a sort of half-smile through his thin lips.

"Well...nonetheless, I am very impressed. Of course, I knew of your formidable skill with firearms beforehand, it's...one of the reasons I recruited you, but the rate at which you've adapted to these extraordinary circumstances we face, it's just...amazing to me. And really, it was just very uplifting to hear some good news like that, because you know I haven't...gotten a whole lot of that tonight..."

Alexia initially smiled at such a compliment, but it soon faded as she noticed her uncle begin to do something very strange.

She witnessed him pick up one of the cigars that he had finished and discarded on his desk, then begin to sniff it along its back edge, where the flame had not touched the luxury hardened tobacco leaves that made up its rough, dark surface.

Remus Knight then did a most peculiar thing, in the sight of Alexia and Jess...he started to slowly ingest the burnt-out cigar, crunching down on a large piece of cigar butt. Hard crumbs made audible plinking sounds on his desk, but he did not seem to mind much as he chomped down on this very strange snack, his teeth audibly grinding the hardened tobacco leaves into a size that he was capable of swallowing.

 _"These make quite a good midnight snack,"_ he commented with his mouth full. _"Would you like one?"_

Despite his kind offer of a brand new box of mini-cigars, both Alexia and Jess quickly, yet politely declined. Remus simply shrugged, popping an entire unsmoked mini cigar into his mouth and chewing it much like an ordinary potato chip or pretzel, making a very similar loud crunching noise as he did so.

More than anything, Alexia simply wished to ask her uncle if he was feeling alright at the moment. In fact, she had never seen him act so strangely in all the years she had known him. Of course, he had his quirks, but she did not remember eating cigars whole as being one of them. He also seemed uncharacteristically at-ease, especially given the events preceding this meeting. Knowing him personally, Alexia had wholeheartedly expected him to be boiling like a kettle at his office desk, trying his best to talk nice to the two girls as hot, unfiltered rage attempted to escape.

Of course, she knew that she could not just outright ask him this, because such a personal, familiar question would be more than enough for Jess to put two and two together and guess Alexia's true identity.

But Jess...why was she even in here with her to begin with? Of course, Alexia knew that she was only called in to be showered with congratulations by her uncle, but she began to ponder just what business matters that he had with her. Perhaps it was something she was not yet aware of as a new member and her friend, but Alexia's worried conscience also began to go over other, more-unpleasant reasons that explained her presence. As she knew Jess had seemingly not even met her boss in the 4 years that she had been a Black Skull, she could guess that it was not very often that people got called into this dark, cold office/living space.

Soon, she began to recalled back in the nightclub, where Jess had unabashedly, yet unintentionally called her boss 'creepy'. If Alexia knew her uncle at all, she was aware that he took such insults very, very personally, even when the intent behind those words was not malicious in nature. She began to sweat nervously. Her hands trembled at her sides as her train of thought led to her very unnerving thoughts of brutal torture, which her uncle was infamous for in his tenure as leader. And if Jess's tale of the chopped fingers held true, it was possible that her friend would not be returning from this office in the same shape as she entered.

She glanced over at Jess for a split-second. She saw that she too was also very tense, uncharacteristic of such a normally relaxed and fun-loving person. Alexia wondered, in this nerve-rattling silence, if she too was thinking the same dark thoughts as her, which admittedly was not difficult to do in such a dark, eerie space such as this one.

After a tremendous swallowing sound, Alexia's uncle finally continued:

"Anyway, I...also think that people are starting to hear about you, Alexia. Some of my most powerful friends in the city have already, and they will most likely be clamoring for your help in the coming days and weeks. Accordingly, I believe you will be making...lots of money, building quite a tremendous repertoire."

Alexia nodded, but was currently unable to enjoy the prospect of possibly becoming a very wealthy, professional criminal soon, because of the looming threat of bodily harm she perceived her friend to be in.

Looking over at Jess, though, revealed her to be grinning proudly at such an accomplishment by her best friend. Jess discreetly took hold of Alexia's gloved hand, the sudden warmth and tightness in this frigid atmosphere helping to calm some of her nerves.

"That's really awesome...sir..." Alexia began, trying her best to prevent herself from stammering and accidentally calling him 'uncle'. "But...do you think that these jobs will be needing...two people?"

"Why, yes, of course. Probably more than that, actually, for the bigger ones...Which is why you should really start networking with other Skulls, other...criminals. Building close, yet _very_ impersonal relationships, after all, is how I got this crew to be so powerful...Just be careful whom you decide to trust, and don't let _anyone_ take advantage of your special talent...It's a vicious world out there, you know."

At this point, Remus spontaneously decided to light up another cigar instead of eating it, blowing a large amount of smoke up in the air so that it would not drift into the two women's faces.

"Okay, I-I'll keep that in mind...but, um, I really think I can trust Jess over here, I think she'd make a really good first partner for me."

Jess nodded vigorously at Alexia's proposal, grinning at her boss.

Of course, she knew exactly what Alexia was trying to achieve through conversation with him. She intended to make her seem not deserving of punishment because of her immense help that she had provided to her today, and she was fully onboard with it.

"Yes...I think so too," Remus responded. "From what the other Skulls have been telling me, it seems you two are...very close. They say they saw you in each other's company for the entire duration of the party. You were never apart for very long."

They smiled at each other and snickered quietly, as they both knew of other people that had seen them together and the way they sometimes perceived their strictly-friendly relationship.

"And, um...since Jessamine is experienced, she can probably...show you 'round the city and its inner workings, maybe introduce you to some of her friends and associates as well."

"Ohh, yeah, I-I can do that," Jess spoke for the first time since stepping into the elevator. "I am gonna hook this girl _up,_ boss, just you wait and see."

"Yes, I believe you, Jessamine, don't worry."

Remus again half-smiled, this time a small exhale or attempt at small laughter accompanying it.

"Which, uh, reminds me..."

Remus's smile, like a groundhog coming out of its hole, faded as suddenly as it had begun.

"There's something...we need to discuss as well."

"Oh, um...really?"

Jess's voice suddenly grew much softer and more high-pitched as the attitude drastically changed in the office; Alexia felt her hand trembling as she continued to hold onto it.

"Yes, it's of...utmost importance."

For no apparent reason, he wildly shuffled some papers around on his desk, scattering a few on the floor, before turning to the blonde-haired woman to his left.

"Now, Jessamine, you've been with the Skulls for...a number of years, correct?"

"...A-approaching 4, sir," Jess answered the question in such a timid and quiet manner that it put even Alexia's shyness to shame.

"Right. And in those 4 years, you have proven yourself an invaluable asset to this crew. In fact, you're one of the best pilots I think we've ever had. The amount of drugs and weapons that you've delivered has helped us immensely over the years."

Alexia looked over at her now-sweating friend in wonder, as she had absolutely no prior knowledge of Jess being skilled in aircraft.

"So, um...I know this is probably long overdue, Jessamine, but...In light of your continued loyal service to our organization...I would much like to offer you...a promotion."

Jess remained stationary in her seat, still frozen in anticipatory fear.

She shook her head a few times after she had registered Remus's words, which contrasted dramatically with the unpleasant turn in the conversation that she had been preparing herself for.

"Y...y-you mean..."

"That's right," Remus confirmed her suspicions. "As of now, Jessamine, you are officially promoted to the rank of Black Skull Lieutenant, which also entails becoming a Captain in our air-delivery sector. Congratulations."

 _"Oh my God..."_

Jess was so astonished by this sudden change in tone that she was forced to turn to the side, covering her mouth so that the high-pitched chuckles, intermingled with a few tears of joy and indescribable relief.

Alexia, of course, grinned brightly at her friend's accomplishment, patting her on the shoulder as she steadily composed herself once more.

"Wow...Thank you, Mr. Knight!" Jess spoke, the confidence and spunk in her voice having returned. "Just...this is just so..."

"It's no trouble at all, Jessamine. After all, you do deserve it."

He briefly smiled at her before again turning his niece.

"Alexia, as good a job as you've done tonight...you don't qualify for a promotion just yet. But, if you keep up this excellent quality of work, then I'll be sure to do the right thing when the time comes."

She smiled and nodded contently at her uncle's proposal of generous endowments and titles down the road. After all, she had only been a Black Skull for a little more than a day, so any bump in status right now would probably stir up considerable suspicion from within the crew.

"But Jessamine, um...this promotion does come with a lot of little...perks. First of all, you'll get paid considerably more, about...$50,000 more per month, give or take?"

Jess immediately clasped her hand over her chest and took many deep, staggering breaths, as if in the midst of a massive heart attack. However, the exaggerated and comical manner in which she did this made it obvious as a joke, which Alexia found herself laughing heavily at.

Remus retained his stoic frown as he continued.

"Also, this higher rank also allows you access to more...let's call it, 'confidential information'. Things concerning affairs and the integrity of the crew, to which I might have left you in the dark as a lower rank."

Jess wanted to say something, but could only nod at her leader approvingly at the prospect of being more informed.

To Alexia, it was now obvious exactly what was to be said next from her Uncle Remus.

He looked over at her for a few seconds, as if for some sort of last-minute reassurance that Jess could be trusted with this highly-sensitive information. She half-nodded a couple times, which was all he needed to continue talking.

"And here's your first piece of intel...you know Alexia pretty well, right?"

"Yeah, of course I do! Well...I mean, she hasn't really told me a lot about herself yet, but I-I don't blame her. I mean, we've only been friends for, like, less than a day. We just ain't had time for that kind of dark secret-sharing stuff yet."

"Well then, I guess I'll allow you to get further familiarized...Go ahead and tell her, Alexia."

"Yeah, um...Jess...I'm..." Alexia blushed in spite of herself, smiling and rubbing the back of her neck in subconscious embarrassment.

Jess couldn't help but laugh at this trademark shyness that she so loved about Alexia; she leaned in closer, putting her ear next to to her friend's face so that she wouldn't have to speak very loudly.

"Uh...well, me and him...we're related."

"Wait, wha?"

Jess's smile was immediately wiped from her face; she whipped her head back to face her friend, as if to confirm what she had supposedly just heard.

"Yeah, um...Remus Knight...is my uncle."

 _ **"WHAT THE FRICK!"**_

Jess darted her eyes frantically around at the room, which reverberated her loud shocked scream and the high-pitched voice crack that followed it.

She then looked back at her friend, who was trying to control immense giggling caused by Jess's reaction.

"...ARE YOU SERIOUS, LEXI?!"

She nodded to affirm her confession.

"Yes, it is very much true," interjected Remus Knight yet again, holding a smile for much longer this time. "I am her father's eldest brother. We actually knew each other quite well, when she was a child, but...I haven't been able to see her much since."

"THIS IS...! I...I..."

Jess's breathing became much more erratic and she found herself stumbling over her own words, failing to complete even the most basic sentences. All of this was most likely brought on by the shock of such a major revelation, one that would be commonly encountered in Vinewood movies or Internet pranks.

Seeing as her words were failing her, Jess instead reached over and enveloped Alexia in another warm hug. She patted Jess's back, trying to calm her nerves and help her to process thoughts correctly.

"...Are you alright, Jessamine?" Remus asked her.

 _"No, I...I don't..."_ Jess's voice sounded, muffled by the black fabric of Alexia's dress. _"_ _...This whole time...I-I had no idea..."_

As Alexia continued to console her confused and frightened friend, Remus continued explaining.

"That's because this information is...secret, Jessamine. Only you, my commissioners, and a few others know that Alexia is my kin. So just don't tell anyone else, okay? Or I'll be forced to do something I _really_ don't want to do."

Knowing exactly what Alexia's uncle was referencing, Jess nodded to signify that she understood.

Letting go of Alexia, she managed to sit up yet again, taking a deep breath to further calm herself.

"So, um..." Jess started, her deductive reasoning slowly returning. "...Did Alexia come here to be the next...crew leader?"

Remus nodded his head, very slowly.

"If she continues down the right path, then yes...God willing, she will one day succeed me, and carry on the family name-"

"OH MY FUCKING..."

Putting her head in her hands as if to cry, Jess instead found herself continuing her slow breathing to try and calm herself.

"Wow...I didn't think she'd react so adversely to this," Remus remarked to his niece.

"She'll be fine. She's probably just in shock, like, this is a pretty-"

 _"SHOCK?!"_ Jess retorted. _"No, i-it's way worse than that! I...I just got fucking PLOT-TWISTED! Like, IN REAL LIFE, man!"_

After regaining the composure necessary to sit up in her seat, she went on.

"I mean...Like...Tell me the truth, boss, w-what's next?! What's the next epic twist?! Is...friggin' M. Night Shamylan gonna burst through that door over there?!"

Following the direction of Jess's finger, Alexia laid her eyes upon a heavy oak door that was painted a solid black color, to an extent that it blended in almost perfectly with the dark walls of her uncle's office. The only thing that signified that a door was even there was the metal keypad next to it, yet another security checkpoint.

Out of this door, not even 5 seconds after Jessamine's bold hypothesis, came a tan-skinned man garbed in a blue sport coat, wiping a good deal of sweat off his brow with his sleeve. Jess, overwhelmed with excitement, immediately jumped out of her seat and pointed at him.

"AHA! GOT YOU, YOU INDIAN SON OF A...!"

She stopped dead in her accusatory tracks. Her mouth remained agape and her index finger pointed at Martin Madrazo, who simply stared at Jessamine with a look of indignation and confused anger.

Jess eventually found the strength to pull herself out of this frozen state and spoke to the man she had just accused of being the king of plot twists and terrible horror movies.

"H-hey, Mr. Madrazo..." she started, returning to her meek, barely-audible tone that she used whenever she was stricken with fear. "...How you been?"

"...Evening, Jessamine," he greeted her back. "Alexia..."

She smiled at her potential future employer, giving a slight nod to acknowledge his greeting.

Martin took a moment to remove a set of what appeared to be blood-stained brass knuckles from his wrists.

"Remus...I took care of our 'friend', like you asked me to. Needless to say, I think we made...considerable progress. He is in a much more cooperative mood now."

"Thank you, Martin."

Remus returned to a more serious and businesslike mood, placing his jet-black fedora back onto his head.

"That brings me much comfort at such a stressful time. I can take it from here."

He nodded at him before heading out the door, using a personally-owned security card to pass the checkpoints. Alexia heard him and the still-waiting guard exchange pleasantries as he exited the penthouse.

Remus again made audible groaning sounds as he rose up from his seat, as if the very action of flexing his joints pained him greatly. Standing up, it was immediately apparent how his tall, gangly frame towered over the two women, as well as everything else in the room.

"You two, go home," he commanded. "Alexia, I went ahead and called my mechanic, told him to bring your car. It should be waiting on the curb outside."

He made his way over to the doorway of this newly-revealed room, having to stoop down considerably so that his head would not slam into the top of it.

"Uh, who's...back there, by the way?" Alexia asked her uncle before he completely disappeared into the pitch-blackness of the room concealed by the door.

"Oh, um..."

Remus cleared his throat, thinking of the best way to explain this to his niece.

"Just some poor misguided soul that needs...correcting. Don't worry about that now. Just...go home, stay safe...eat your vegetables."

Opting to be satisfied with that vague explanation for the moment, as she was very tired, Alexia followed Jess and the congenial Black Skull guard through the dark maze of hallways and towards the elevator. Of course, Alexia knew exactly what her uncle did to people in that room, so it came as no surprise to her when she heard what sounded like a series of powerful electric shocks through the walls, followed by audible pained screams.

At last, the two reached the elevator and were taken back down into the apartment lobby, where both women were temporarily blinded by the comparatively-bright lights hanging from the ceiling.

"Hey, Jess..."

"Hmm?"

She looked over her shoulder at her friend, who had somewhat of a guilty and apologetic look on her face.

"Um...I'm really sorry you had to find out my secret...that way. Like, I just can't tell anyone without his-"

"Y'know, Alexia..."

Jess, due to growing fatigue, was forced to cover her mouth and yawn into her palm before continuing.

"I'm just...I'm really tired right now, I did maybe overreact back there. I mean...I'm still not gonna ever look at you the same way again, but...we definitely still friends. It's cool, girl."

Jess stretched out her knuckles for a fist bump, which Alexia gladly delivered.

"You, uh, need a ride home?" Alexia asked her.

"Nah...I'll just call my mechanic, tell him to bring one of my other cars from my garage."

"Uh, what's with all these mechanics suddenly delivering cars? Do they...do that around here?"

"Yeah. I-it's really convenient, trust me. For only $50 a day, you get lightning-fast delivery...whenever you may need it..."

Another great yawn overcame Jess's form, forcing her to stop in mid-sentence.

"Well...okay. Take care, Jess."

"You too, Lexi..."

After a brief goodbye hug, the two friends parted ways, Jess heading out the door and Alexia heading back over to the ugly plaid couch, as her Special Carbine was still stashed underneath.

Having received no further updates on Damien's condition, Alexia made her way to the infirmary across the lobby from the couch, hoping that she would find something out from there. If Damien happened to be alive and conscious at the moment, she also hoped to return to him the weapons and body armor that he had so graciously loaned to her for the night, helping both her and Jess to escape the women's restroom.

Seeing as the door to the infirmary was completely ajar and unguarded, she made her way inside, where she was immediately greeted by the 8 or so patients within, lying on hospital beds that probably would have failed the sanitation standards of a real hospital, but nonetheless kept them comfortable enough to seemingly keep them in good spirits.

"H-hey, look who it is!" shouted the limping Skull from earlier.

"Hey, Alexia!" shouted a voice from another bed, despite being completely obscured by some unappealing green curtains.

"...Hi, guys."

She smiled at the Skulls who could see her at the moment, her cheeks unconsciously turning red from their warm-hearted greetings.

"Uh...we know who you're lookin' for, he's right over there. Needless to say, he's been...very anxious to see ya'."

Limping Skull's remarks were enough to make most of the others around him snicker in their beds, signifying that they possibly knew something that she didn't.

Thanking the man for his directions, she soon found herself in a far corner of the room, standing in front of Damien's hospital bed. She noticed that he was once again shirtless, with a fresh set of bandages covering his stomach area. However, she tried her best to not let this distract her as she greeted him by cracking a friendly, genuine smile in his direction.

 _"...Hey,"_ a weary Damien spoke, which came out as more of a raspy whisper.

"Hey...You holding up alright?"

 _"Yeah...yeah, I'm good now...I think. They went ahead and_ pulled _that bullet outta me, of course...You wanna_ _know how big that sucker was,_ _Alexia?"_

"Um..." she paused for a moment, scanning her brain full of firearm knowledge and the weapons the Roses used to make an educated guess.

"...5.7 millimeters? Er, around that?"

 _"Actually, that_ was... _exactly right. Holy shit..."_

He smiled, even managing a slight laugh at her amazing set of gun knowledge, even though shortly afterward he winced at the pain that it caused him.

She diverted her gaze downwards for a moment, laying her eyes upon the gun that she carried in her hand, before holding it up so that its owner could see it.

"I, um...just came to give you your stuff back. Thanks for letting me borrow-"

 _"Nah. Nah, Alexia. Y-you can keep all that shit. No problem."_

"Oh...really?"

A big grin spread across her face, making her elation at this prospect obvious to Damien.

 _"Yeah. Consider it my, uh...housewarming gift to you, as a new member. Tell Jess she can keep hers, too, 'cause I know she's been...having problems keeping up with her_ _weapons."_

"Wow, thanks man! Uh...I really appreciate it."

They spent a few moments in silence, looking around the room and smiling awkwardly whenever their wandering gazes met.

The anxious look in his deep brown eyes indicated to Alexia that he perhaps wanted to tell her something that was very important, but was withholding for a reason that was currently unknown.

 _"Uh...well shit, I'm beat, I've had a really long day. I'll see you-"_

"Yo! Ay, hold up!"

This caused all Skulls in the room, who had been attentively listening to their conversation, to erupt in jeers and warnings to Alexia not to leave just yet.

"Actually, before ya' go..." the limping Skull again interjected. "D-Man here's got something else he's been dyin' to tell you."

 _"What? No I don't. What are you_ guys _talkin' about?"_ Damien responded in a slightly more-audible voice, so that his words could reach the other Skulls in the room.

"Bullshit, man. That wasn't your attitude 10 minutes ago, after all of us pep-talked you. Just fuckin' tell her already."

At this point, Damien's behavior took a rather strange turn; his mannerisms and deportment began to resemble those of Alexia's as he subconsciously rubbed the back of his neck. His speech became rather quiet, and his hands shook nervously.

"Tell me what, Damien?"

His eyes again moved up to meet Alexia's. She, in turn, endeared him with an adorable little grin, to put Damien at ease and to encourage him to divulge this secret to her. Of course, she already had a pretty good idea of what it was going to be, but she was quite content to let him confirm her suspicions.

 _"Uh...well...Alexia,"_ he started off slowly, Alexia's smile successfully turning him a few degrees calmer.

 _"...You just...you seem like a really awesome girl, and uh...would you, maybe...like to hang out sometime? Y'know, not on missions or whatever, just, like...casually."_

Now, it was her turn to act timidly. Displaying some of her signature shy mannerisms, she paused to consider Damien's offer.

 _'Holy fucking_ CRAP!' the voice inside Alexia's head made its presence known as she continued to think. _'I-I didn't think he'd actually go through with it! Like, a...a date? An actual DATE?! I've never been on one! What the fuck do I do?! What are the...?!"_

At this point, she noticed that she was taking much too long to respond, and Damien was becoming much more anxious every second that she did not respond, fearing most of all an act of rejection or disgust on her end.

However, Alexia rushed to stop Damien from garnering such an impression of her. She promptly quelled the irrational ramblings of her subconscious and gained the nerve to speak once again.

"...Yeah. Yeah, I'd love to...When do you wanna...?"

 _"Um...well, I should be discharged tomorrow, but I don't know when all the plans for the counterattack will come together. As soon as that happens, it'll be total fucking war. Since I'm a high rank, I don't think I'll have hardly any free time. So...like, I'll just text or call you or whatever."_

"Sounds great, but you'd kinda need my..."

Before finishing her sentence, she removed her phone from her purse, to signal to him that he did not yet have her number.

 _"Oh, crap...I guess you're right,"_ he realized, through the haze of pain medication he was currently on.

Alexia giggled at his mistake, moving closer to his bedside so that he wouldn't have to strain to see the light of her iFruit phone.

After exchanging numbers, the pair embraced in a warm goodbye hug, which caused several Skulls to erupt in successful cheers. They reached over to high-five each other from their beds on successfully hooking the two up.

Alexia had a noticeable bounce in her step as she made her way back out of the lobby and onto the sidewalk outside. Finding her blood-red Oracle parked by the curb, she stepped inside and cranked the engine, letting it run for a few moments as she sat and thought about the exact implications of the events of this very long day.

She didn't have any idea what to expect with this upcoming gang war between the Roses and Skulls and how exactly she would get to play a part in it, but what she did know was that, on matters more domestic in nature, she had found a new best friend, a tall, beautiful blonde-haired girl with a goofy sense of humor and a rather childlike personality at times, quite possibly to make up for the childhood that she never had. She also could quite possibly have found a soulmate, in the form of a handsome, prolific assassin with a slight Liberty City accent. Really, to her, all of this sounded much too good to be true, especially for a social outcast from South Yankton who had only had a few close friends in her life and hardly any romantic relationships. Now, virtually every Skull in the compound had instantly warmed up to her presence and welcomed her into their crew. To Alexia, it seemed as if she had finally found a group where she belonged and was appreciated for who she was, which no other group of people, not even her own family, had ever cared to provide for her.

She thought about these things as deep as her tired mind would allow her while driving through the busy Saturday-night traffic that filled the streets of Los Santos, even at the ungodly hour of 1:00 in the morning. Since Alexia had stepped into her car, a steady rain had begun to fall, accompanied by the occasional lightning flash or pounding of thunder, which sent people on the sidewalk scrambling for any form of cover under the gigantic skyscrapers that made up the bulk of the downtown area. Puddles of murky rainwater, made so by the chemicals in the ever-present gathering of dense smog that hung above the city, formed in the many divots and potholes that the city government had never bothered to fill in.

"Y'know..." Alexia spoke aloud to herself. "I think I'm gonna like it here."

Fearing that the monotonous-yet-calming patter of the rain against her car would put her steadfast to sleep, she cranked up her car stereo, absorbing the heavy fuzz guitars and rough punk rock vocals of Channel X that were sure to keep her awake long enough for her to reach her apartment and collapse back onto the warm, fluffy mattress that she so loved.


	10. A Sunday Drive: Part 1

A thin, pinpoint ray of golden yellow Sun, passively allowed in by a curtain that had been left slightly askew, shot its way into the apartment as soon as it had sufficiently cleared a low parking complex opposite the window. This magnificent sun ray, enabled by the virtually-cloudless sky above after the rain had passed the night before, created in its wake a razor-edge trail across Alexia's bedroom, where its trajectory somehow managed to hit the sleeping woman square in her right eye.

Her unconscious mind worked to correct this disturbance, shifting Alexia over to her right side, although her movements were somewhat restricted by the cocoon of blankets that her body was swaddled in. The amount of effort required to move a full 90 degrees was much more than what allowed her to stay asleep, and so her eyes abruptly opened to be greeted by the millions of photons streaming onto her face.

Once her retinas had adjusted to the sudden brightness flooding into them, she eventually sat up in bed, freeing her upper body from the fluffy white cocoon. She rubbed a few clumps of greenish-yellow crust from her eyelids, then stretched her arms high above her head until a loud, satisfying popping sound was produced by her shoulder joints.

Eventually, she even gathered the strength to unwrap her legs and hop off the bed, making her way over to her sunlit window to observe the bustling metropolis hundreds of feet below her. She was separated from all of its beauty only by a pane of invisible, virtually-spotless glass that gave the newly-awakened woman a near-perfect panoramic view of a sizable portion of the city, from one end of Alta Street all the way down to the nearby skyscrapers belonging to the FIB and IAA agencies.

From within the reaches of her memory, her newly-awakened mind was able to pick out one semblance of information, one which could potentially put a great damper on this otherwise-spectacular morning. She looked downwards toward her stomach, which was currently covered by the oversized Love Fist t-shirt that she had slept in. At the moment at least, she felt no discernible pain in this region of her body, which was remarkable, given the unbearable amount of it she had endured the previous night on two separate occasions. Still, she did find herself sorely afraid to lift up her shirt and inspect what physical mark it had left, as her mind kept flashing back to that absolutely dreadful moment, the night before last, when she had gotten a firsthand look at her bloody, glass-embedded hands.

Realizing she was going to find out one way or another, Alexia took a deep breath, then grabbed hold of the hem of her shirt, lifting it upwards until the uppermost portion of her stomach, just below her diaphragm and ribcage, was exposed.

Alexia's gaze, fixated on the large pool of blood under the skin that appeared externally as a deep black and purple discoloration, grew ever more dispirited and sad. The bruise that Jess had predicted would form was roughly the shape of a disfigured kidney bean, and was about the size of her fist. From her perspective, it looked as if it had hit some sort of bulls-eye on her midsection, as it was located in a very particular area, just a few inches below the exact center of her ribs and skewered in half by an imaginary vertical line created by the central location of her belly button.

She sighed woefully and let down her shirt. She did not want to observe the injury any longer because, to her at least, such a hideous mark upon her stomach was not merely a visible blemish to her starch-pale skin. Instead, the bruise took on a much more sinister meaning to Alexia, who thought the ugly mark to be nothing short of the physical manifestation of something truly evil, similar to such famous brands as the Mark of Cain or Arthur Dimmesdale's Scarlet Letter in its awful meaning and appearance upon her flesh. Instead, the mark came to represent the bitter hatred and violence between the two rival crews, which was enough to greatly upset her as memories from such a terrible night stormed back into her reasoning.

Seeking to heal this grotesque lesion immediately, she made her way upstairs to the main living area of her luxurious apartment, heading over to the kitchen to fill a Ziploc bag with ice cubes for placement on the bruise.

Reclining on her cloud-white sofa, Alexia soon found herself in quite a comfortable position. With her head propped up by a couple of pillows, she had placed a dish towel over the affected area on her skin, then applied the bag of ice onto this barrier, so as not to give her frostbite. Simultaneously, just above this cold-healing area, a serving bowl filled about halfway with sugary, marshmallow-rich cereal and milk rested on her chest, supported in this area by one of her hands. She consumed this mixture of artificial sweeteners and pasteurized milk voraciously, as her stomach was still largely empty after its contents had been evacuated into a toilet at Bahama Mamas the night before. In this case, she managed to eat comfortably upon the expensive white sofa because she reasoned that milk, it too being white, would not leave a noticeable stain. Still, in this very precarious position, she used extra caution, making sure not to move an inch whenever she took a sip of milk and crunched down on the delectable bits of cereal.

She reached across the vast chasm between the couch and the coffee table, just about managing to grasp the TV remote with her fingertips. She used this to awaken her giant, slumbering flatscreen television, seeking to perhaps watch some lighthearted cartoons as she munched on her breakfast.

The very first image the TV displayed was an aerial view of a smoldering building in the middle of Del Perro, around which firefighters and law enforcement had set a perimeter with police tape and were busy putting out a few remaining flames. Just outside this perimeter were scattered news vans and reporters on foot, but also a full concert-sized crowd of rubbernecked spectators that had simply come to engross themselves in the morbidity of seeing charbroiled corpses and body parts carried out on stretchers, covered by morgue-white blankets. Some even filmed the ghastly event with their smartphones, for later uploading on gore websites.

However, what caught the girl on the couch's attention, and what caused her the most worry, was the gigantic metal carcass of a charred-black helicopter, which lied in repose directly in the middle of the crater which it had formed when it had violently exploded. The mere fact that she had played a part in causing all of the sheer destruction onscreen was enough for a fresh shot of chronic anxiety to overcome her, even in such a comfortable reclined position.

 _"Well, folks, we are looking live here at the scene of the Bahama Mamas nightclub, where last night an intense battle between rival gangs killed an estimated 300 people total, including gangsters as well as employees at the club, before a helicopter that seems to be involved in the battle exploded, destroying the entire building and creating the block-wide fire that is just now being contained by officials here onscreen. Afterwards, a chase ensued down Vinewood Boulevard at a popular time of night, killing an additional 78 civilians and injuring almost 100 more."_

A man and woman reporter appeared onscreen in a busy-looking newsroom, wearing tailored sport coats and solemn facial expressions as they conveyed to their audience the seriousness of this event. They both appeared to be very young; They were most likely newer reporters, assigned to the normally-uneventful Sunday morning shift.

 _"Good_ _morning_ , _I'm Jason Brown,"_ the black-haired man that had made the initial announcement proclaimed.

 _"And I'm Ashlyn Turner,"_ added a female reporter with short, platinum-blonde hair and a pink smart coat. _"Police have confirmed that this battle was waged between two Los Santos crews, the Black Skulls and the Roses of Death, whose intense rivalry has become increasingly violent over the past few months. Just a few days ago, it was reported that Kenny Mason, the nephew of the Rose crew leader, the notorious Alastor Mason, had been assassinated by a Black Skull's bullet."_

"...Assassinated..." Alexia wondered aloud to herself. She felt as if she had known of this piece of information beforehand, but she could not quite wrap her mind around where she heard of it or how it was so significant to her that her mind was trying so desperately to remind her of it.

When she did manage to recall what event last night had led her to think so deeply about this, she felt her heart skip about 2 or 3 beats. She began to sweat, in spite of the ice pack on her stomach. Her grip on the precariously-balanced bowl of cereal loosened somewhat, but she thankfully steadied herself before it could fall to the ground.

Before Damien had been a helper to them in their time of need, she could explicitly recall Jess being completely overwhelmed at seeing him alive and well at the party, as he had just returned from an assassination that had somehow gone wrong. How it had went so awry and whom he had assassinated were still a mystery to her, but if he had really killed such a high-value target, then it could be hypothesized that the Roses, perhaps with a mole already implanted and waiting for a time to strike, had this as a motivation to speed up their attack on the Skulls. They also could have purposely let Damien out of the woods and followed or tracked him to the party without his noticing, leaving him partially responsible for the hundreds of deaths on that night.

Before Alexia's mind could wrap itself further around this very convoluted scenario, the news turned to a reporter live on the scene, a block or two away from the site of the destruction.

 _"Ashlyn, I'm standing here outside the former site of Bahama Mamas, also the site of the worst violence this city has seen since the Great Skull Purge nearly 4 years ago, where approximately 1,000 police officers and 3,500 others were killed in a single night. Here with me is a man who witnessed the death and destruction from a nearby apartment window. What do you recall seeing last night, Mr. Higdon?"_

The camera turned to the left, away from the beautiful Hispanic street reporter toward a slightly-overweight man in a polo shirt and 'Jock Cranley for Governor' cap.

 _"Ohh, it was terrible! Absolutely awful! There was all kinds of ruckus and explosions and gunfightin, all in OUR streets! This ain't Afghanistan or Turkeystan or whatever! This is AMERICA, for God's sakes, this kind of stuff doesn't happen here! Now, I am a God-fearing, law-abiding man, but if I have to use my Second Amendment rights to wipe these damn Muslims off the face of the Earth, then that's what I'm gonna do!"_

After the man's slightly racist and xenophobic statement, a few whispers were heard behind camera, after which the street reporter reminded him:

 _"Thank you for your account, sir, but we do not believe radical Islamists were involved here. It was the product of organized crime units, from within the city."_

 _"Now, honestly...I don't believe that,"_ the man retorted, unfazed by facts. _"Now, I like you, street reporter lady, which is why I'm tellin' you that's just what they want you to think, so them damn refugees the governor's lettin' in by the raft-load won't look bad. Y'all wanna stop seein' shit like this, then just vote Jock Cranley fer-"_

At this point, the station's signal went out as they rushed to censor the politically-charged man who was obviously deeply affected by such a tragedy.

When the camera again showed faces, it was the embarrassed ones of the two reporters in the newsroom, who were rubbing the back of their necks and preparing to give an apology to the people who had heard that.

 _"Er...sorry about that, folks,"_ Jason Smith spoke first. _"Sometimes, things slip through the cracks, and...I guess that was one of 'em...But again, this was the work of two Los Santos crime organizations, who are on an increasingly violent path that experts warn could lead to an all-out war in the-"_

 _"H-hold on a minute, Jason..."_ Ashlyn Turner was now listening intently to a tiny earpiece that she was wearing. _"Let's go live to just outside the FIB Headquarters, where leader of the Gang Task Force and television personality Agent Steve Haines has prepared a statement to this event."_

There he was again; a red-headed man in the earlier stages of middle age, wearing a nifty blue polo shirt and khaki pants, which Alexia assumed was merely 'office casual' for such a highly-valued government agent. She had to admit that she still found him quite handsome, even if he was at the moment ruthlessly intent on taking her and her entire crew down in a blaze of patriotism and funding increases. Surrounding him were about 15 microphones bunched together on a single wooden podium, with labels of various other news stations slapped onto their metallic exteriors.

 _"The people of Los Santos have nothing to fear. We at the FIB are working closely with other agencies to rid our streets of these morons with guns. I mean, really, these guys have a pretty great potential of just wiping themselves out. We believe that around 150 people from each crew hit the dirt last night, which is a good chunk of their entire personnel. If they could just go extinct peacefully, away from the city, that would be splendid. However, the way we see it...more battles like this will ensue across the city, and these crews will take many more innocent lives before they're done. But, I can assure you, the FIB will be there at the next one, hopefully to prevent it before it even happens. And as for all you gangsters..."_

Steve Haines' piercing blue eyes unexpectedly turned towards the Weazel News camera, with a look on his face which delineated no less than malicious resolve. This served to greatly startle the girl on the couch, who felt as if this evil stare was directed at her.

 _"Yeahh, I know at least one of you pathetic pieces of trash is watching this right now,"_ he declared, his thin lips curling into a nefarious smile. _"And let me just tell you this...you are really, REALLY dumb for pulling this stuff in my city. Hell, my COUNTRY. You're gonna pay for what you did. As of now, my team is tracking algorithms, gathering information, that is gonna put you and all your little buddies in the ground. And no, 'ground' is not a strange euphemism for 'prison'. The agency, as well as the local PD, have been given authority to use lethal force whenever we see one of you clowns skulking around in the shadows. Enough is enough. Either you give yourself up...or die...It's your choice, amigo."_

By this point, Alexia was immensely frightened, as she had reason to feel that Agent Haines' threatening words were directed specifically at her. The FIB headquarters sat not even half a mile from her apartment residence. In fact, she could probably gaze upon the interview from a distance if she were to rise from her sitting position and stroll over to the window.

However, she currently found herself frozen with anxiety and trepidation, fearing worst of all that the message was somehow cryptic in nature, that federal agents were currently on their way to her apartment, where they would most likely shoot her on the spot. Or, if Steve Haines happened to be bluffing about the 'lethal force' issue, she would be sent to Bolingbroke Penitentiary in arid Blaine County, where she felt she would most likely be held for life or even executed for her dastardly crimes.

As if on cue, the doorbell to Alexia's apartment began to buzz. With all these unpleasant thoughts still in her mind, she frightfully jerked upward, the cereal bowl being loosened from her grip by the sudden muscular spasm. The startled woman desperately tried to grasp at it before gravity could bring it down, but she acted much too late. The bowl landed upside-down upon the polished hardwood floor, sending cereal and milk scattering in all conceivable directions. Most of it ended up on the floor, but a good deal of it also splattered onto the bottom of the couch, staining it a slightly-different shade of white.

Alexia wanted desperately to scream, to express verbally the feeling of dread and horror that filled her body as she saw the massive white stain upon the luxurious furniture that her uncle had so generously provided for her. Instead, she stared with her mouth wide open in shock, her vocal cords producing instead a soft, high-pitched squeaking sound, which resembled perhaps the sound that a small kitten would make when it wanted to be fed or petted.

As she continued to stare at the mess she had made, the doorbell continued to sound, as if someone on the outside was pushing it repeatedly. Alexia quickly removed the dish towel/ice pack combination from her stomach, then tiptoed her way past the mess of cereal and milk to identify her guest (or guests). As she did so, an innumerable amount of terrifying scenarios raced haphazardly through her mind, all foretelling different identities of whom was wanting into her apartment so badly. Still startled by Steve Haines' explicit threat against the Skulls, her mind worried intemperately about the possibility of it being a horde of FIB agents with a warrant calling for her death or arrest.

Unfortunately, there was no way to know for sure before she opened the door, as the entrance to her apartment did not possess a peephole, or any device for identifying people in the hallway. Taking a breath to calm herself as much as her frayed nerves would permit, she thrust open the apartment door, accepting whatever destiny awaited her.

This destiny came in the form of a tall woman with poofy blonde hair, leaning casually against one of the walls that led to the apartment doorway. She was sipping on what appeared to be a humongous iced coffee from Bean Machine, which was about the size of Alexia's upper arm. How one woman could possibly handle such a massive amount of caffeine was far beyond Alexia's understanding.

"...Hi, Lexi," Jess cordially greeted her after she had successfully swallowed a particularly large gulp of the coffee.

Alexia smiled and breathed a sigh of immense relief, as her terrible thoughts of what was to come had just been blissfully dismissed.

"Hey, Jess...Come on in."

Letting her friend inside the apartment, Alexia quickly made her way over to grab some paper towels, then scrambled over to the milky mess on the floor before the stain could seep into the fine upholstery on the couch.

"Jinkies!" exclaimed Jess, setting her coffee down on an adjacent counter. "What the flip happened here, Lex?"

"Oh, um...just the usual...morning stuff."

Alexia smiled at her friend, not wanting to let her know that she had inadvertently caused the mess by startling her with the doorbell. Jess, in turn, enjoyed a good laugh at Alexia's shyly-delivered attempt at humor.

Jess grabbed some more paper towels, then went and bent down next to her friend, picking up stray bits of cereal and placing the towels down on any white spots she saw. Then, she took the overturned cereal bowl from the crime scene and proactively placed it in the sink for washing.

As she was doing this, however, Alexia found herself temporarily distracted from the mess in front of her. For some odd reason, she found herself suddenly taking acute notice of her friend's body, or rather, the outfit that she had donned over it. Her clothing consisted of some skintight acid-washed jeans and a pink sports bra, which together combined to flaunt her voluptuous hourglass figure and several tattoos scattered across her midsection. The most prominent of these presented itself as a black oeuvre of Jessamine's name, inked onto her skin in beautiful, flowing calligraphy. While this tattoo was but a tramp stamp, spanning all the way across her lower back, it was definitely one of the more dignified of its brand, impressing even Alexia with its carefully-crafted lettering and decoration.

Stopping short of romantic attraction (as Alexia was not inclined to think such things of other females), her thoughts soon turned to slight envy at her friend's naturally good looks. The longer she laid her eyes upon Jess, bent in front of the sink washing the guilty cereal bowl, the more she took notice of individual features such as her large breasts, wide hips, and flat, toned stomach, attributes which she could only dream of having. While Alexia was exceptionally skinny (being about 5 pounds underweight at last check), she came across as more of a scrawny woman, with no significant muscle mass to speak of. She also lacked such defining feminine characteristics as a curved figure and a fulsome bust, which were factors that usually discouraged her from wearing very feminine clothing, unless convinced by good friends such as Jess. Still, she was starting to find it very ironic that the same woman who often gave her much-needed self-esteem and confidence was now unintentionally making her feel so insignificant and unattractive compared to her supermodel-tier physique.

After a while, Alexia found herself feeling bad for thinking such covetous thoughts toward her friend. She forced her eyes away from Jess and back down toward the receding milk puddle that was slowly being absorbed into the paper towels. When Jess had finished, she laid the plate onto a nearby dish towel to dry, then generously saved Alexia the trouble of taking the 20 or so soggy, milky paper towels and discarding them into a trashcan.

Seeing as the cleanup was finished, Alexia now found herself much more relieved now that the problem had been resolved. Further satisfying her was the fact that she had gotten to the milk quick enough that it did not leave a noticeable stain on the couch. Maybe, she thought, there was still hope to salvage this morning, despite all of its flaws.

She plopped back down onto the sofa, Jess soon making herself at home and taking a seat next to her. The taller blonde girl took the opportunity to stretch her long, jean-clad legs out in front of her and to lean back, snuggling into one of the couch's fluffy cloud-white cushions.

"Ugh, this guy..." said Jess with disgust from her comfy position. She was referring to Steve Haines, whose menacing presence continued to project onto Alexia's TV screen.

"...I know, right?" Alexia added, trying not to reveal how frightened he had made her earlier. "He says he's gonna, like, take down all the gangsters, or something."

"Heh, not as long as he's best buddies with all of 'em. The guy's totally corrupt."

"Wow...really?"

"Yeahh, I mean, he talks a big game and all, on his little TV show...But I really don't think he's gonna do anything drastic, not as long as he's got all these little...interlocked connections within the city. Although normally, he does tend to favor the Roses and their allies over us. Which, I dunno, could be kinda important in the war that's coming up. But we got the IAA, their rival agency, on our side, so I wouldn't worry too much about it."

Alexia, with faint traces of a smile, nodded understandingly. She felt somewhat relieved after Jess had educated her somewhat on the true workings of these two dueling government agencies. Accordingly, she no longer saw Steve Haines or the FIB as a big bad government force, rather as just another gang in a city already filled with them. Except this particular gang had to keep up a certain respectability in the public eye, to keep the taxpayers' money flowing into their agencies. This, Alexia guessed, would possibly become a great distraction for them as the war progressed and/or incriminating files of theirs were leaked somehow.

"Bah, SHADDAP ya' ginger prick!" Jess shouted at the TV, proceeding to turn it off with Alexia's remote.

Satisfied with the way she had abruptly silenced Agent Haines, she snickered softly to herself and reclined once again on her couch cushion, folding her hands over her stomach in contentment.

"...Y'know, Alexia..."

Jess started, but was forced to reflect for a little while longer to collocate what she was going to say.

"I've just...I know it's early in the morning and all, but I've just been thinkin' a lot about, like...you. Er, more specifically, the friendship that you and I have."

The black-haired girl next to her scooted a little closer to her on the couch, in anticipation of Jess's next words.

"Alexia...I mean, th-that is your real name, right? Just so we're clear?"

"...Yeah, Jess. That's my real name."

She couldn't help but laugh briefly at Jess's question, as she had never been asked such a thing before in complete earnest.

"But, uh, my full name is Alexia Frances Knight."

"Okay, good...good..." Jess sighed, relieved that she had not been tricked or plot-twisted on this particular subject. "And I...am Jessamine Camellia Hendrix."

"That's a really pretty name. Y'know, it kinda sounds like-"

"Yeah, it is," Jess interjected, knowing exactly what Alexia was referring to."I'm literally named after two flowers. Specifically, they're the state flowers of South Carolina and Alabama, because my mom and dad are from there. Well, anyway..."

Realizing that she was off-topic, Jess came in again immediately afterwards, straightening herself slightly in her seat.

"You know how, last night, when we were in your uncle's office, we kinda talked for a while and then he...promoted me?"

Alexia nodded, confirming that she remembered.

"Why do you think he did that?"

"Um...he said that you were a really good pilot, and that you deserve it for being with the crew so long."

"Hah! Yeah, right."

Jess enjoyed a good laugh at such an explanation, covering her mouth to stifle the giggles. Alexia looked at her, not really understanding why she found this so funny.

"I-I'm sorry, Lexi, but...truth be told, my performance has really not been good these past few months. I mean, I've skipped out on meetings, missed deadlines, and all sorts of crap that _should've_ gotten my ass fired. I mean, your uncle should've been _a lot_ angrier with me during that meeting, but...he wasn't...'Course, all of this aberrant behavior does kinda stem from my, uh...drug addiction."

In a heartbeat, her smile had eroded, substituted by a serious, reflective expression in her normally mischievous sky-blue pupils.

"I mean, I smoke crack, Alexia. Me and Curtis both did, that's how we met each other. I'm also a pretty heavy drinker and an even worse partier...But what you saw last night was _nothing_ compared to how I usually get at parties. Spoiler alert, it, uh...usually ends in all kinds of sex...dirty, sloppy, unprotected sex, usually with complete strangers. And I always wake up the next morning, in some mysterious place, no fucking clue how I got there...And of course, I'm supposed to be somewhere or do something for the crew, but I'm just so hung over that I don't even give a shit. But yeah, I guess I am a good pilot, when I'm focused and sober, but right now...my life's just kind of a mess, Lexi. I-I did try to hide this from you yesterday, since I...didn't want you to know my shame...Already, I've sold most of my weapons for drug money, which is why I was so unprepared during the Rose attack. I also sold a few of my cars, and if I don't get my shit together soon, I'll...have to sell my house up in Vinewood Hills..."

She sighed somberly, allowing her long locks of hair to fall onto her face as she bowed her head in dreadful ignominy. Luckily, Alexia was sufficiently close enough to her on the couch so that she could embrace her friend, taking her by the shoulders and letting her lean onto her for support. They stayed like this for a few moments, Jess welcoming the comfort that her friend's warmth brought her. Alexia, meanwhile, started to rock gently back and forth with Jess in her arms, running her fingernails down the length of her mostly-bare back.

After a minute or so of Alexia's comforting, Jess felt as if she had calmed down enough to continue speaking. Even though she had not shed a tear throughout her miniature emotional breakdown, her face was still noticeably red from holding back emotions when she removed herself from the hug and sat up on the couch.

"But my point is...your uncle didn't promote me based on my performance. He promoted me because, well...you were there."

Alexia caught on quickly to what Jess meant by these words. Once it did strike her, she promptly felt a sizable jolt down her spine as she realized the significance of her pseudo thesis statement.

"It's actually kinda weird if you think about it because...If I hadn't checked my e-mail at a specific time yesterday and accepted your little job offer, then became such good friends with you...then 'promoting Jessamine' would probably be the last thing on your uncle's mind. It's an incentive, Alexia. This promotion is nothing but counterweight for me to do well in protecting and assisting _you_ in beginning your criminal career. But in turn, this...brings about a huge opportunity for me as well."

With no provocation whatsoever, Jess sprung up off of the comfy couch, instead opting to stand in front of her still-seated friend. To Alexia's satisfaction, she now wore an enthusiastic grin and had star-like twinkles in her eyes, the glorious product of someone's train of thought getting a jumpstart and leading to many new ideas, mostly positive ones.

"I mean, since your uncle is now entrusting me with all these new responsibilities, I'm...guessing he's gonna be a lot more pissed if I don't carry them out. So with that in mind, I can promise you this...I am gonna get off drugs. ALL DRUGS. And I'm gonna work as hard as I can to be the very best Lieutenant, the very best Air Captain, and the very best, uh...Alexia-Helper-Outer that this crew has ever seen!"

Alexia found herself grinning, especially at Jess's silly made-up name for the last job she had named off.

"Yeah, uhh, I'll come up with a better name later. But not now."

Still at an elevated level of excitement, she next scurried over to the bay window next to the living area, gazing out at the beautiful 79-degree day outside.

"I mean, I can see it already! For the second time in my life, I...I think I'm turning over a new leaf, Alexia! The first time, I renounced acting and overworking, but now it's all this reckless sex, drugs, and new-boyfriend-a-week type shit I've been doing. That shit is OVER! Like, seriously, SCREW THAT, 'cause I am my own woman now! And really, i-it's all thanks to you, Alexia! Seriously, I can't thank you enough!"

"...The pleasure's all mine, Jess. You're a strong woman. I think you're more than capable of getting clean and doing all that other stuff. But, uh, I'll be sure to do whatever I can to help you out, whenever you may need it."

"Hell yeah, girl! HIGH FIVE!"

At Jess's urging, Alexia hopped off the couch and made her way over to Jess, who had her hand positioned high in the air in anticipation of a friendly slap to her palm.

Alexia reached up...and missed. She tried again and still missed, once again a few inches downward of her target. Truth be told, it was frankly the simple height difference between the two friends that made Jess's outreached hand such a difficult target for 5'3" Alexia to hit.

Her 6-foot-tall friend, however, was more than glad to stoop down slightly so that they could successfully slap palms in merry celebration.

"Sorry," Jess apologized. "It's just that normally, I'm used to doing that with guys in the Skulls that are, like, about my height or...taller than me."

"Yeah, it's cool," Alexia replied, with a slightly-embarrassed smile upon her lips. "I mean, I am kinda-"

 _BZZZZZZZZ...BZZZZZZZZ...BZZZZZZZZ._

Interrupted by the sound of her phone noisily vibrating upon the table's glass surface, Alexia made her way over to see who wished to contact her. Perhaps, she thought as she walked over to the source of the buzzing, it was Gerald wanting her services for another drug bust (or 'hustle' as he liked to call it). Some other possibilities included either her uncle or Martin Madrazo offering more distinguished high-profile work, or even Damien, who simply could not wait until he was out of the infirmary to schedule a date with her.

But, the person calling her on this morning instead introduced him/herself as the dreaded and mysterious 'Unknown Number'. No '1-800' prefix was visible within this person's number, so an attempt at pesky telemarketing was ruled out.

Stumped as to who this person could be, Alexia decided to answer the call.

"Hello?" Alexia properly greeted the mysterious person.

 _"Hello."_

Alexia was taken by heavy surprise by this caller's voice. From this one word, she could easily establish that this was a man, a man with an especially heavy foreign accent that Alexia could not identify at the moment.

"...Who's this?"

 _"This is Simeon Yetarian. I am a friend and business associate of Lamar's, whom he asked to pay to fix your car, the red Ubermacht Oracle, the other night."_

"Ohh, that was you?"

She found herself smiling, both at identifying the caller and realizing the great favor that he had done for her. At the same time, seeing that Jess looked rather anxious to know what was going on, she discreetly switched the call to 'speaker' mode, where she could easily drop in on the conversation.

 _"Yes, it was. But I just thought I'd let you know that, in addition to fixing it, I also had a tracking device installed, so that its location will always be known to you if it is ever unfortunately, uh...stolen. But, if the tracking device is somehow tampered with, worry not. I also provided a full-coverage insurance policy from my good friends at Mors Mutual, so they will cover it if anything...particularly bad happens to it."_

"Oh my God, that...that's awesome! Thank you so much!"

 _"Ohh, it is no trouble, my girl. No trouble at all. After all, I am a benevolent Armenian-American businessman, a fixture in the community of Southern Los Santos. But, um, in repayment for such generosity, I do ask of you...a favor. Well, a few favors, actually."_

Jess's face now carried a look of skepticism and incredulous thoughts about this man, whom she found to be getting shadier and more untrustworthy by the minute.

However, Alexia remained on the line, hoping to find out what 'favors' this man was asking her to perform.

"Uh, okay...What do you need?"

 _"After this call has commenced, I will be sending you a list of vehicles that are in particularly-high demand. All you would need to do, really, is acquire the vehicles off the street using...whatever methods necessary. Then, you would respray it at the nearest auto shop, then bring it to my personal garage at the docks. You will be payed for your services, of course. And it would immensely help my business of assisting the urban poor in this community by giving them a good condition vehicle at a reasonable price, ah? I told you, I am a benevolent man, a truly charitable spirit."_

Alexia, too, was now catching onto the aura cloaked behind this man's words; She could now see that Mr. Yetarian was nothing but a crook and a chronic liar, whose deceitful business tactics and false promises have most likely left many people looking for a decently-priced car suffocating in debt. All of this, of course, could only be the work of a fellow criminal, possibly well-endowed with enough cash to pay anyone who helps him handsomely, which is the most likely reason Lamar had talked so highly of him the other night.

 _"But, um, back to the task at hand...I do happen to have a definite location for two of the vehicles on the list. These are a black Super Diamond, and a gray Stinger GT, which are both stored at the infamous Richman Mansion. Unfortunately, after an incident involving a supermodel and hedge clippers, it now has its own group of armed security guards, so just be prepared to get in and out quickly. Once you are clear of them and...whomever else is chasing you, bring the cars to my dealership in South Los Santos, where you will be paid. How much, of course, depends on the condition of the cars, but it will be a healthy sum nonetheless."_

Alexia looked over at Jess for her opinion on this man's promise of well-paying work. After taking a few moments to think about it, she gave Alexia a passive thumbs-up. After all, Simeon could only possibly benefit from ripping off people that were easy targets, such as senior citizens and uneducated ghetto-dwellers, not dangerous criminals connected to a network of crews and alliances that could easily destroy him and his fraudulent auto business.

"...Alright. I've got a friend with me right now. We'll go ahead and do that for you."

 _"Ah, excellent! I knew I could count on you, based on Lamar's, uh...glistening account of your character and personal accountability. I shall be seeing you shortly, uh...Alyssa, isn't it?"_

"Uhh, no. It's Alexia," she informed him, laughing off his mistake. "I'll see you at the dealership, sir."

She hung up, placing her phone back onto the counter. She looked again at Jess, who was again slurping on her monstrous iced coffee.

"Aight then," Jess spoke as she freed her mouth from the cup's straw. "Looks like we got us somethin' to do today."

"Yeah. I think this could be an opportunity right here. Stealing cars to sell to people who probably can't even afford them? I mean, I've never heard of something so...criminally underhanded and evil before."

"Yet at the same time, it is kinda beautiful, this...cycle of continuously ripping people off. This dude prolly makes some serious coin, and we are gonna stake our claim in it, Lexi."

She took another large sip of her drink, grinning at the dark coffee flavor that it left in her mouth.

"I'm looking forward to that, my friend. Just, uh, lemme get changed first, alright?" said Alexia, referencing the fact that she was still in her pajamas and was suffering from a critical case of bedhead.

"Okay. I'll just be waitin' up here...Doing nothing in particular..."

Jess's eyes meandered around the room as she said this, eventually stopping and taking a keen interest in the apartment's kitchen area, particularly the refrigerator. Alexia, meanwhile, headed downstairs to her bedroom/bathroom area to get ready for yet another criminally active day.

She took a quick shower to tame her vicious morning hair, then set out to comb and style it as she saw fit. She did manage to find particular delight in how her short black hair was now considerably easier to manage, compared to her old scene/emo hairstyle that was often prone to tangle and obscure vision in one or both of her eyes.

After applying some makeup to emphasize her now-visible facial features, she next turned her attention over to her wounded hands, removing the day-old bandages and examining them under the fluorescent bathroom lights. Fortunately, they had seemed to heal, over the course of a couple of days, as her body's natural processes had fought off any infections and closed over the wounds with newly-produced skin cells. To Alexia's dismay, this had proved to work a little...too well for her. Quite a few of her scars had begun to keloid, leaving unattractive trails of raised purplish flesh behind in their wake.

Until she could figure out a way to remedy this (if such a thing was even possible), Alexia decided to don a pair of opaque black gloves to hide the scars. Rummaging around in her suitcase, she picked out a suitable outfit for the day out of the few clothes she had taken with her as she had hurriedly fled her home in South Yankton two days ago. What she did have, though, was a pair of faded gray jeans with multiple jagged holes that had been intentionally cut into them, which she supplemented with ratty black converse shoes and a comfortably-baggy longsleeved shirt, embellished with horizontal red and black stripes.

Overall satisfied with her appearance, she made her way back upstairs to the living/eating area, where she witnessed Jess indulging in a tub of chocolate ice cream swiped from her fridge. She could especially tell that she enjoyed the delectable frozen snack, drizzled with a healthy dose of thick chocolate syrup, because of the supersized scoops of it that she was rapidly shoveling into her mouth.

Only when she noticed Alexia curiously staring at her did she decrease the rate at which the ice cream was eaten, resorting to smaller bites that were less likely to inflict a normal human being with crippling brain freeze.

"You weren't...planning on eating this, were you?"

"Nah, girl," Alexia reassured her, smiling at her friend's unique strangeness. "I didn't even know that was in there."

"Aww, man. I'm sorry, Lexi...Tell you what, how about I take you out for ice cream after we finish this...thing?"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever this 'thing' turns out to be, anyway."

On those uncertain, dubious words, the two friends exited the upscale Pillbox Hill apartment complex and made their way outside, where one of Jess's cars was parked dutifully on the curb outside. This vehicle, a green-and-black Vapid Dominator, was certainly well-endowed with all the finest accessories and tune-ups available to a muscle car of its caliber. Chrome-encased wheels in the shape of large dollar signs, locked in place by durable bulletproof tires, supported the car's armor-plated frame as its turbo-tuned engine carried it as fast as the dense midday city traffic would permit.

It wasn't long after the car took off down the pavement that Alexia received the awaited text from Simeon Yetarian, detailing some of the cars that he wanted her to steal for his business. Among them were many vehicles reserved for the city's upper class, including sports cars such as the Ocelot F620 and the 9F Cabrio, vehicles which she could only find among celebrities driving through the impossibly-narrow roads of Vinewood Hills. She also spotted on the list many high-end SUVs, ones which every yuppie and soccer mom in the city could proudly show off on their morning commute.

As Alexia was scheming of ways she could possibly get a hold of some of these rides, Jess proved herself to be quite good at handling all of her car's power, weaving through the stop-and-go traffic and running pesky red lights whenever she did not catch sight of any traffic cops. Alexia, meanwhile, had proactively buckled her seat belt, as Jess's driving maneuvers, while skilled and controlled, were often enough to jostle her around in the car's leather-padded seat. This, unfortunately, also distracted her from her task of preparing her 9mm pistol for possible combat; she had decided to leave her Special Carbine at home, as she did not anticipate a simple car-jacking to require very much in the way of heavy ammunition. Besides, her pistol still had a sufficient amount of bullets, enough so that a few carefully-placed shots could easily put down any security guard or bourgeoisie palace-dweller that stood in their way.

However, another bloodbath was not how she wanted to end the day. She already felt considerable remorse for having killed so many people over the course of a single day yesterday, without even a second glance or pause in her murderous streak. A belief instilled in her by countless Sunday sermons and summer Bible camps, Alexia could not help but feel regretful after having taken the life of another human being, a sin that could easily result in a one-way ticket to Hell. She began to think about her pastor, who was probably preaching on this Sunday morning to pray for Alexia and her family, as everyone most likely knew by now that she was nothing but a wicked outlaw, who had absolutely no precautions about robbing people and leaving her family without so much as a goodbye or wish-you-well. This, she could guess, probably came as quite a surprise to the congregation at her small, rural Methodist church, as she had been renowned for being quite a studious reader of the Bible and an active participant in church activities and banquets.

As they progressed further north, almost into the city's outskirts, the car came upon the palatial neighborhood known quite appropriately as 'Richman'. The name, of course, so befitted the neighborhood because of the humongous urban castles that made up either side of the road that they drove upon, and the sheer amount of money that must be required, not only to buy the houses themselves, but to keep them in such pristine and impressive condition that anyone passing by would immediately know of the mansion owner's monetary success in life.

Jess eventually pulled the car over, hopping a curb so that it could come to rest on the sidewalk in front of a conspicuously-large mansion house, the Richman Mansion. Notorious as the grand residence of Hef Hilton, the monopolistic owner of numerous adult magazines and dirty film companies, this turreted stone-brick mansion is mostly famous for its rambunctious parties, filled with anything and everything one would associate with adult film stars. Drugs, topless women, loud pop music, and pizza are all said to be found in abundance at these soirees, usually hosted by Hef himself. Alexia, unaware of the mansion's tinted reputation, simply had reason to marvel at its intricate stonework and green shrubbery that the enormous front yard had to offer.

"Holy shit, Jess...this place is huge!"

"Yeah, huh? It's making my place look like a fuckin' sharecroppers' cabin, or something...Let's, uh, slide over and check out some possible weak points in its defense."

Accelerating slightly while still hugging the curb, Jess stopped the car beside a wall next to the mansion's main iron gate. In doing so, Alexia came to notice that the cobblestone wall surrounding the property, while tall and imposing, could still be quite easily scaled by someone as tall as Jessamine.

"Well...I'm seein' a few possible entrance points..." Jessamine thought out loud. "...But that main gate's gonna need to be open so we can drive the cars out."

"Okay, so we just climb over the wall, open the gate from within?"

"Actually, I think there's a way we can open it...externally. You see that keypad on the wall right there?"

Following Jess's pointed index finger, Alexia did manage to spot a metallic gray box, gleaming in the abundant San Andreas sunshine upon its fixed position on the stone wall.

"I'm thinkin' that if we can hack that sumbitch, then...this could end up bein' an easy score."

"Uhh...hack it?" stated Alexia, puzzled by Jess's seemingly far-fetched plan. "How are we gonna...?"

 _"Forsooth! Worry not, fair maiden. For I hath come prepared!"_ Jess spontaneously shouted in a stately Middle English accent.

She began rummaging around in her stylish leather purse for something that she somehow found useful in this situation. By the mischievous glint in her sky-blue eyes and the way she embulliently hummed as she fumbled around the various pockets inside the purse, Alexia could tell that she was quite eager to present to Alexia the miraculous device that would somehow hack the gate that stood in their way.

The USB flash drive fit in the palm of Jess's outstretched hand, and was in the shape of a chibi-style pink pig, whose chubby head could quite easily be popped off to reveal the metal object inserted into the USB port of any computer-style terminal.

"Isn't this so effing cute, Lexi?!" Jess continued in her normal American/West Coast accent. "But, uh, Mr. Piggy here, while he is all chubby and adorable...he's also got some seriously-potent malware installed into him, that can crack virtually any passcode. He's brought down many security systems for me before, and I think this one should be a breeze for him. Isn't that right, Mr. Piggy?"

 _"Oink! For sure, if you can give me some hugglez first, Jess!"_ Jess imitated his rough-but-high-pitched voice.

"Aww. Why, of course, Mr. Piggy."

Jess smiled gleefully as she rubbed her pet flash drive's plastic face on her cheek, giggling gleefully and making cute pet noises as she did so.

The woman sitting next to her in the car could only look on in bewilderment at how intimately Jess cuddled the inanimate object in her cupped hands, treating the malware-infested drive like an actual, living creature. However, Jess promptly lowered her display of affection for Mr. Piggy when she snapped back to reality, as she had quite honestly forgotten that Alexia had been sitting beside her this entire time.

"Oh, um...Sorry, Lexi...I don't normally do stuff like that. Not in front of other people...My parents didn't let me have a lot of friends growing up, so I've always kinda interacted with objects and things that aren't real. I have actual friends now, of course, but I just still find myself...going back into that state sometimes. It's kinda weird."

"...I'm not gonna make fun of you or anything, Jess...I did the same thing as a kid, I talked to my hunting rifle a lot. Not because my mom wouldn't let me have friends, just...I was too shy to really make any."

"Well...you got a friend now. A loyal friend and ally that's never ever gonna leave you hangin'."

Jess started to pat Alexia's gloved hand, giving a reassuring smile.

"Y'know, Alexia, part of the reason I like you is...I've always really loved shy people. I usually gravitate towards them, try to bring them out of their shell a little, and I believe I've been making excellent progress with you, Alexia. I mean, I don't know how bad you were before, but you handled that car-dealership guy pretty smoothly. And you also seem to be a lot more comfortable around me from when I first met you, you don't stutter or mumble nearly as much. And that's awesome because, y'know...in this whole criminal business, you're gonna have to talk to people. People of all different backgrounds and motivations. People like your uncle or Martin Madrazo, or that guy over the phone earlier that kinda sounded like Borat. You're also gonna need to be convincing, but stand your ground against them and be a little assertive, 'cause if you're not careful...they will try and deceive you or stab you in the back. I-I'm just lookin' out for you, girlfriend, because it's...happened to me before."

"Yeah, I...guess that's kinda what made 'em criminals in the first place, right?"

"Yeah, mostly...But I'll be sure and teach you 'bout all that later. For now, we can just focus on getting into this mansion and gettin' dis money, homie! Tell her, Mr. Piggy!"

 _"We're gonna smoke those rich assholes if they get in our way! LONG LIVE THE PROLETARIAT!"_

Jess's eyes widened, and she suddenly withdrew Mr. Piggy from Alexia's line of sight, pretending to silence him by pressing her fingers against his permanently-smiling mouth.

"Uhh, sorry about that...Mr. Piggy recently became a radical Marxist after he learned of the evils of American capitalism. He's still an excellent hacker, though, especially if his hacking involves revolting against the upper class."

Alexia couldn't help but to burst out laughing at how dark Mr. Piggy's character had suddenly become. Jess had reason to laugh as well, looking down into her flashdrive's soulless painted eyes that sought nothing else but to create a classless society, a dictatorship of the proletariat.

Once they had calmed down somewhat, they managed to return a degree of seriousness to their demeanor; they stepped out of the car, holstering their weapons and watching for anyone that might have taken notice of their activity on the street.

Jess promptly snapped off the head of Mr. Piggy, so that she could fit him in the USB drive, where his potent malware could quickly go to work disabling the security system. Alexia, meanwhile, positioned herself facing the street, to watch for anyone that might become suspicious of their activity.

"Be on point, alright?" Jess directed her. "This is a good hacking program, but it's still gonna take a minute or two to crack the password."

Alexia sighed nervously. "Okay, Jess. Just...don't take too long."

"I'll be quick as white lightnin', don'tchu worry."

Jess gave a comforting smile, then bent down in front of the keypad so that she could operate the hacking software. Alexia kept watch for her friend, keeping her pistol concealed to further the concept that they were not criminals breaking into a residence. Instead, the persona she wished to reflect to passersby was that of security system operators that were simply working on the security system of this particular residence. The problem with this, of course, is that neither of them exactly looked like they would be performing this particular role. For one, Jess was not even wearing a shirt, and neither of them bore any indication of what security company they hailed from. Alexia was literally shaking in her boots from the mounting anxiety, as she realized that no one would be fooled by the sight of these two mysterious, mismatching persons tampering with the gate.

One minute soon eclipsed to two, and at least 3 people had reason to eye the two women curiously as they drove by in their luxury sports cars or walked their carefully-groomed Pomeranian dogs on the opposite sidewalk. Alexia's worrying simultaneously reached a climax, causing her to speak aloud.

"Ohh, Jess, can you please hurry?" she urgently whispered to her friend. "I think they're onto us."

"Hmm. Well, this is quite strange..."

"Wh-what? What is it?"

"The hacking program's having trouble finding a match for the password. I-it won't show up...Just lemme try this-"

"Hey, guys. What's up?"

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The two friends screamed at the mysterious male voice that suddenly manifested directly in front of them. Its origin was that of a man, probably in his mid 20s, with deeply bronzed skin and a buzzed blonde haircut. Strangely enough, he had on only swim trunks and an open shirt, exposing his well-defined muscles. Since he was talking to them from inside of the gate that they were desperately trying to open, it could be assumed that he was either living in or was a guest of the mansion's owner.

"Whoa, I-I'm sorry, dudes, that was my bad. I guess it wasn't, like, cool of me to just walk up on you like that, I know you were focused on something."

Alexia and Jess looked at each other, utterly confused by this man's congeniality towards them, despite the fact that he had witnessed them tampering with his keypad.

"But, uh, it's no big dealio, I know you're here for the party, so just try an' chill out a little."

"O-Oh, yeah! Yeah, the party!" Jess said excitedly, as a grand opportunity had just arisen for them to gain access. "Man...are we glad you showed up."

"Yeah. We just, uh, forgot the password," Alexia added, to add to the credibility of their appearance as partygoers and explain why they had laid hands on the keypad.

"Oh, no sweat about that, dudes. It happens to the best of us, including me. Uh, hold up a sec, I'll just let you in real quick."

The man graciously opened the gate with the press of a button on the opposite side of the wall, allowing two criminals into the mansion with absolutely no further questions asked. While his back was turned to escort them into the party area, Jess made sure to discreetly take her flashdrive from the USB port, stuffing it into the back pocket of her jeans before walking onto the property with the other two.

"Y'know, I was kinda supposed to be watching the entrance, looking out for any guests that showed late, but I just had to watch this crazy wet T-shirt contest that was goin' on. You know how these things are, they're crazy, dudes! And afterwards, I was totally like..."

 _"Jess, look. That must be the cars."_

Directing Jess's gaze to the left, attention was turned away from the rambling partygoer and towards a couple of beautiful luxury sports cars. Indeed, the black Super Diamond and gray Stinger GT gleamed gloriously on the stone-brick driveway upon which they were showcased, their freshly-waxed frames blinding the two women who dared to look for too long. To say the least, they were quite impressed by the beauty of these vehicles, and they wanted nothing more at the moment than to drive them, testing out their capabilities before making the delivery to Simeon back at the dealership.

"Hey, uhh, you guys comin' in or what?"

The man who had greeted them at the entrance was now kindly opening the door to what appeared to be a gigantic pool area, where several people in swimsuits were enjoying the festivities that this party had to offer.

"C'mon, guys, it's such an insane party! And no one's even OD'd yet, it's crazy!"

At this point, Jess and Alexia had time to look at each other, communicating nonverbally their next course of action. They could, of course, simply knock the man out and steal the cars, but that would risk them being seen and chased by the attendees of this party, whose own fast luxury cars were parked adjacent to the vehicles which they desired. To get the vehicles and their share of Simeon's dirty money, the look they gave each other signified an intent to go undercover, as casual partygoers, before backing out and commandeering the cars whensoever opportunity presented itself.

They turned towards the entrance to the patio/pool area of the mansion, without knowing these people or exactly how 'crazy' this party truly was, but trying to maintain a calm and casual appearance as they went past the man (soon to be their enemy after the job was pulled) and into a hoard of his attractive-looking mixed-gender group of party loving friends and acquaintances.


	11. A Sunday Drive: Part 2

Stepping into the backyard of the enormous mansion they had just infiltrated, Alexia and Jess found themselves among a rather curious cast of characters in attendance at this extravagant pool party. The mansion's expansive back patio area hosted about 50 joyous partygoers, each participating in their own individual activities to add to the somewhat-chaotic scene in front of them. Aside from this, it soon became apparent that every single female in attendance was exceptionally thin, even by health-conscious Los Santos standards. This is why the two party crashers supposed that they were all sunbathing and not actually in the water, as such activities would probably askew their intricately-designed spray tans and hairstyles. This role was filled was filled by the rambunctious males, who were more than eager to horse around, sometimes rather dangerously, by the edge of the pool.

The pool was down a set of stairs from the relaxation/patio area, and the two aspiring carjackers could not help but notice how impressively unique it was. In sharp contrast to the standard square or rectangular pools of most mansions in this area, this one cut a largely irregular path around an organized pile of boulders, flowing in the form of a lazy river. One portion even formed a small, shaded tunnel underneath the rocks, which the men as well as a few women were relaxing and/or kissing under.

"Whoa...This is a weird party," Jess remarked, looking around at the disproportionate amount of perfectly-proportioned bodies and plastic enhancements.

"Nah, nah. What's weird about all this is how we got in so...easily! Like, where are all the armed guards that Simeon was...?"

It was at that moment that she saw them, about three in total and virtually the only unattractive/overweight people at the party. They were in a corner of the swimming pool, their bald heads glistening in the abundant sunshine as they played a completely nonthreatening game of Marco Polo. Their holsters, with weapons and tasers still pocketed inside, were left carelessly by the edge of the pool, where they could not reach them in case of emergency.

Alexia was astonished by the complete lack of security precautions at such a high-profile mansion. In a panic, she began to think of scenarios that would explain away such obvious lapses in security on these peoples' behalf.

One particularly-frightening thought that made itself present was that this was nothing but a ruse, a trap devised by the FIB or the Roses to trap them in the mansion and slaughter them both. Alexia felt for her pistol in her back pocket, resolving on just how she would use it in case something as drastic as this were to happen.

Jess did not seem to share Alexia's worried conscience. As soon as she perceived no one within earshot, she burst out laughing at the scene they had just entered into.

"Oh my God, I..." she mustered in between chuckles, seeing no one within earshot. "Y-you couldn't make it any easier! A fucking monkey could steal something from here, it's hilarious!"

"Yeah, that's kinda what's worrying me, though," Alexia replied as Jess continued her wild laughter. "What if someone's trying to get us, Jess? M-maybe this whole job is a sham by somebody who wants us dead, or it's just a-"

"Lexi, come on now..." said Jess, embracing her friend in a warm, calming hug. "I love you, but you worry _way_ too much. I don't think anything's going on here, it's just that these are dumb rich people. I'm from a rich family, so I know their kind very well. If they were really trying to lure us in or something, they wouldn't make the security system so danged powerful. Like, Mr. Piggy couldn't even crack that mother, it was so well-programmed. Anyway, just calm down, alright? We need to blend into the whole happy party atmosphere so no one suspects us."

With her head resting on Jess's motherly bosom, Alexia eventually consented, recanting what must surely be an irrational conspiracy theory.

"...Okay, Jess. But still, let's not stay here for very long. It's a pool party, and we don't have swimsuits. They'll know something's up eventually."

"Aww, man, I totally should've brought mine. It's pink...And it's got kittens on it."

Jess grinned at the mere thought of her cute swimsuit. Alexia did not share her affections, as she was much more focused on planning possible escape routes in case of a real emergency.

"Hey...You smell that, right?"

Turning away from the mansion's exterior, she noticed Jess sniffing excitedly in the air, picking up some kind of peculiar aroma. Alexia soon did the same, as she too had come to notice this lovely scent drifting tantalizingly around them, a smell that could only be produced by cuts of savory grilled meat.

Before they could stop themselves, they were standing in front of a sizable table stockpiled with foodstuffs: hamburgers cooked by means of a charcoal grill sat, beckoning to anyone who passed them by; whole chicken legs, dripping with grease and flavorful sauce, were just as tempting to the astonished women. Enough food remained on the table that they couldn't help but to pick plates immediately and start loading them with the delicious free food.

"Ahh, it wouldn't hurt to stay for a few minutes, right?" Jess expressed what they both wanted to hear at the moment.

"Nah, I wouldn't think so. Like, just as long as we're quick and...discreet about it."

"Oh, I don't think we'll have to worry about that."

Jess said this before taking a Viking-sized bite out of a drumstick, smiling ecstatically as she consumed the tender chicken flesh that barely managed to cling onto its accompanying bone.

Alexia had slightly less food on her plate than her friend did, but she enjoyed her selection of grilled meats, cole slaw, and even a couple of chocolate chip cookies all the same. This was quite good for her because, under normal circumstances, Alexia was not one to indulge herself with so much food while feeling completely guilt-free about it.

Growing up poor and destitute, she did not often get the chance to enjoy a grand feast such as this, and was severely admonished by her mother whenever she dared to waste food by snacking throughout the day, instead of at regular meal times. While not a full-blown eating disorder, this sort of instinctive hesitation from eating too much without thinking of others did carry over into her adult life. Compared to her friend, a black hole engulfing chunks of meat at supersonic speed, Alexia preferred to take small, careful bites out of her fried chicken breast, feeling no apprehension doing so in this setting. After all, these people were very wealthy and they were going to be stealing from them anyway, just as soon as they finished what was on their plates.

Alexia smiled as she nibbled at the tasty food, even though Jess was mostly done with hers already. The taller, carnivorous woman had but a few bits of meat still dangling from the bone, which she ripped and chewed at viciously, like a hyena scavenging at a carcass before the lions arrived.

"WOW..."

Both friends looked up to be greeted by about 12 females in skimpy swimsuits, all staring at them with such wonder and amazement that one would think Christ could have come back to Earth to reclaim his kin. This caused the two intruders much discomfort, as they had been actively trying to avoid much attention as they discreetly ate their food in the back of the party.

The girls proceeded towards them. They began to form a tight-knit circle around Jess, who stood with chicken grease still dripping from her mouth, muddled as to what exactly these women wanted of her. Alexia, meanwhile, was mostly ignored, being practically shoved out of the way by a few girls so that they could inch ever-closer to Jess.

"Y-you're amazing! How did you just do that?!" exclaimed a gleaming brown-haired model, jumping up and down ecstatically.

"Uhh...do what?" asked a confused and slightly-frightened Jess.

"You just ate all that food...without even caring about it! I mean, you have a really nice body. Aren't you afraid of getting fat or anything?"

Jess froze. Looking around at the group of women, she could plainly see that they were all exceptionally skinny, tall, and beautiful, much like herself. Each girl's skin was slathered in tanning oil and sunscreen, furthering their desire to be roasted to a golden-brown coloring by the Sun's UV rays.

"Oh my God...she can't get fat!" another girl exclaimed joyously.

"Her silence effectively proclaims to us that she doesn't have to watch her weight! That's so cool!"

The girls formed an even tighter circle around Jess, who was growing increasingly nervous by this newfound attention.

"Could you tell us what your secret is?" asked a bronze-skinned girl with big blonde hair to match. "Is it, like, a pill or something? Or surgery?"

"Your abs are totally sexy, girl. What gym do you go to?"

"Did you get your breast implants done in the city?"

"...Uhhhhh..."

Jess rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment, her face rapidly turning red. She cast her glance towards the ground and away from the supermodels that were so intently staring at her; she was not quite sure how to tell them that the only implants she had were dental fillings, and she had not had any operations that caused her to stay so skinny.

The truth was that Jess did not bother to watch how many calories she took in, as her hedonistic way of life permitted indulging in all the sugary treats she desired. However, she was fortunate enough to inherit traits invoking natural beauty from her parents, such as breast size, hair texture/color, height, and above all, an impressively high metabolism. Despite this, she still tried to exercise regularly, mostly to prepare for high-endurance situations she might face in missions or raids with the Skulls.

"Aww, it's okay. You don't have to be shy around us," another blonde model tried to comfort her.

"Yeah, we think you're really cool. Most of us, we can't even eat a salad or something without turning into effing cows afterwards."

They all confirmed this sentiment by nodding at the girl who made this statement.

"But anyway, we were kinda thinking of showing you to Hef. I think he'd be really into you."

The girls giggled among themselves. Jess, meanwhile, looked at Alexia anxiously, her eyes pleading for help in this tough situation. However, the small, insignificant woman outside of the circle could do nothing at the moment without gathering attention for themselves and blowing the mission.

Jess's shoulders slumped sadly as she realized that she was going to have to remain undercover for much longer. She did not know how she would get out of this, but she theorized that it would quite possibly end in some sort of forced sexual encounter, a scenario in which she was unfortunately experienced in.

As the gaggle of girls headed off towards the pool area with Jess, Alexia did her best to track them through the crowd of people, most of whom were muscular males in Speedos or uncomfortably-tiny swim trunks. Thankfully, at the moment she was much too concerned about saving Jess to let this distract or embarrass her.

Ducking under pool noodles and dodging rowdy partygoers engaged in horseplay, Alexia was determined to make her way through this veritable maze to get to Jess. Eventually, a few patrons began to take notice of Alexia's unusual baggy clothes, reduced height, and ghostly pale complexion, which made her stand out immensely among the crowd of long, tan, and handsome people in tight swimsuits.

"Hey yo, who's the midget?" one man curiously asked aloud.

"I dunno, I've seen that dude creepin' around lately, it's kinda weird," his friend corroborated.

"Duuude, you know who that guy is?! I-it's that midget rapper who smashed charts with his hit single 'Small But Perfectly Formed'! That was my jam back in the 90's, man!"

"Nah, nah, that's not him. It's that child actor back in the 80's who was really a 42-year-old dw-"

"I'M NOT A MIDGET, YOU JACKASSES!" Alexia screamed at them, as she had overheard every word of their conversation.

"Whoa..." they both exclaimed.

"You're a girl?" the first man asked in amazement.

"TBH, you kinda look like a guy from the back, like with the hair and the clothes. Y'know, I'm just sayin'."

Growling angrily, she made her way away from the two men and towards the edge of the pool, where she eventually managed to catch sight of her friend.

She was surrounded by an immovable wall of supermodels, who kept her helpless and trapped. Lounging in a pool chair right next to her, with an oxygen tank beside him providing him with air, was the host of the party himself, millionaire and adult entertainment mogul Hef Hilton.

A diminutive man about 98 years of age, he had on a vintage Hawaiian shirt and naval officer cap; every once in a while, he would temporarily remove his oxygen mask to puff on a ridiculously-large cigar, the smoke of which was often blown by the wind into Jessamine's face.

"Say...You got a real classy chassis there, young lady. A very fine body," he complimented in a rough, age-worn voice that was formerly much more distinguished and powerful.

Jess was redder than a beet at this point, which caused the girls around her to giggle at her perceived shyness around Hef.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" he asked with a warm, congenial smile.

"It's Je...uh..."

At this point, she simply had to stop and come up with a new convincing fake name that would not land her in hot water at this moment.

"Uhh, Jezebel. I-I'm just kinda new here is all."

"Oh, well that's quite alright. With a pretty figure like yours, I don't think you'll have much trouble making the front cover someday."

He took another drag of his cigar as he continued to study Jess's body, almost as if it were a geological find or a piece of classical art.

Jess, meanwhile, was becoming more and more appalled by the minute. When she had sauntered into the party with her friend, she had had absolutely no idea that she was entering one of Hef Hilton's infamous shebangs, and that her and Alexia had been let in because the man at the gate had perceived them as female adult film stars.

"Uhm...Say, you wouldn't happen to be French, would you?"

Jess, confused by his question, shook her head no.

"Okay, good, 'cause...Your hair and your body, it kinda reminds me of this dame I was with back in the old days. I was stationed in France during the war, and I met this amazing gal from this little village in the Ardennes..."

He looked her over one more time, scanning for anything that might further his memory.

"Y'know, you look VERY similar to her. Are you sure you're not my granddaughter?"

Jess honestly did not know the answer to his question, and she did not have any inclination to find out.

Alexia, seeing the predicament that her friend was in, desperately searched for an opening in the wall of bikini-clad women, but she did not see any way she could get in without resorting to prying them apart and facing their wrath. Alexia became increasingly anxious as she turned away for a moment, trying desperately to think over the numerous conversing voices and the incessant blaring of "Moves Like Jagger"out of a wall-sized speaker.

"Yo, heads up!"

Alexia looked up, only to be horrified by the sight of a gigantic black sphere that blocked out the Sun and was heading straight for her.

She put her arms out in front of her in anticipation of what was to happen, but the force of the fast-approaching rubber ball was still enough to knock the small, skinny woman completely off balance. She stumbled backwards a couple of steps, until the soles of her feet were precariously balanced on the edge of the pool. She frantically flailed her arms trying to maintain balance, but her efforts were all in vain. Even though people were within reach to help pull her up, they did not care to do so, instead simply watching her struggle.

Alexia screamed before falling into the pool, the resulting splash being enough to catch everyone else at the party's attention. Despite her frantic kicking and struggling, a frightened Alexia barely managed to stay above the surface of the water; she coughed and sputtered as chlorinated pool water spilled into her nose and mouth, giving her difficulty in breathing and only causing her to panic further.

"OH MY GOD, dude!"

The man who had thrown the ridiculously large beach ball was also the man who had let them into the mansion to begin with; he simply stood at the edge of the pool, apologizing but not bothering to help the obviously-struggling woman.

"Shit, man, that was my bad entirely. I mean, I really didn't mean nothing by it or nothin', I am so sorry."

"Um...what's she doing?" asked a confused woman, part of the group that had captured Jess.

"...HELP!...CAN'T...SWIM!" she cried out, only to be greeted by more curious stares from everyone. She began to be carried slowly down as the lazy river's snail-crawl current dragged her into a deeper part of the pool.

Hearing the sound of Alexia's voice from within the circle of porn stars, Jess perked up, sensing that perhaps this was one of her ingenious plans that had succeeded in getting them out of harm's way the previous night.

"Ooh, someone's drowning?"

A few of the girls and Hef all looked at Jess, perplexed by her nonchalant reaction to the scene unfolding.

"I-I mean, OH MY GOD, SOMEONE'S DROWNING! I GOT IT!"

Jess pushed past her captors and a few others in the way before skillfully diving into the 7-foot-deep water, not even bothering to take off her shoes first.

The drowning woman suddenly felt an unknown force, which raised her head just above the surface so that she could again breathe, then pushed her effortlessly against the leisurely current. Her rescuer then deposited her on an embankment, dragging her up the concrete surface a short ways to get her fully out of the water.

After rubbing the stinging chlorine from her eyes, Alexia was fully able to see Jess kneeling over her protectively. Her hair was dripping water down onto the sunbathed pavement, and she was panting somewhat from the physical exercise. Still, she made sure to smile brightly down at the woman that she had just rescued and who had, in turn, saved her from the clutches of the female adult film stars.

"Uhh, don't worry, everyone, I think she's alright," she addressed the crowd of people that had gathered around more out of curiosity than legitimate concern for Alexia's well-being.

Grinning even brighter, Jess bent down next to her friend's ear so that she could discreetly whisper something to her.

 _"Great job, Lexi,"_ she said, under the guise of checking her breathing.

Alexia, who was still recovering from the shock of yet another near-death experience, became very confused by Jess's words. She did not know why she thought of a 'great job' as nearly dying and forcing her to come to her rescue, but she found herself slightly offended and hurt by Jess's brightness toward the situation.

"Dude, I am REALLY sorry about that, man," the adult film star that had thrown the beach ball stepped forward, an apologetic and guilty look on his bronze, chiseled face. "I was meaning to throw that ball to one of my bros, I didn't mean...y-you're not gonna press charges or anything, are you? 'Cause I kinda got a lot of those on me right now, dude."

Looking up at him, Alexia silently shook her head no. She found herself slightly amused that he had asked such a question to a criminal, but it was hardly enough to make her smile after such a terrifying and exhausting experience.

She looked away from this man and toward Jess, who was now standing upright, surrounded by a group of men that had become very interested in her for some reason.

"Aww, shoot...Well, it would appear that our clothes are all wet," she proclaimed, citing the reason for why they were intently staring at her chest through the fabric of her sports bra.

"...Meh, it's to be expected, I guess. But not to worry, 'cause me and her were kinda waiting to change into some really sexy bikinis that I think you'd really like."

Practically every male member of the crowd cheered at Jessamine's proposal. She helped Alexia to stand up and, with a supportive arm around her waist, assisted her in walking away from the pool that she had nearly drowned in and towards where they had entered the patio area of this disreputable mansion house.

Several of the men called out to Jess as she walked away with her friend, telling her how beautiful she was and their devotion to wait for her until she got back, almost as if they had forgotten that someone had nearly died in the pool.

Alexia bowed her head sadly; Jess held her even tighter as she stepped through the entrance to the driveway area, gingerly closing the door behind them. Then, she utilized a broom leaning against a nearby wall and wedged it into the space between the two door handles, ensuring that no one would interrupt them in the act.

Now was their chance. The two rushed over to the wanted cars, Jess taking the black Felon and Alexia claiming the gray Stinger. Finding the door to be locked, Alexia prepared to grab her pistol and smash the window to the expensive sports car in front of her.

Fortunately, Jess was there to stop her and preserve the car's near-perfect condition. Instead, she produced a harmless-looking thin piece of metal from her jean pocket, which she inserted into the car's lock. After some jiggling around, it miraculously opened, without setting off any noisy car alarms.

Alexia looked up at her friend in wonder, while Jessamine smiled proudly at having taught her friend something new and useful.

"Jessamine's Pieces of Helpful Criminal Advice #1: These things, they're called 'slim jims', and they are a godsend in this line of work. Here, you can have one of mine."

She placed the piece of metal into Alexia's hand, delicately closing her fingers around it. With a wink and a click of the tongue, Jess returned to her car, with Alexia doing the same.

From here on out, the score again became a ridiculously easy one, as both of these cars did not even require a key to start the ignition. Instead, the two carjackers had reason only to press a button next to the steering wheel to crank the engine and prepare to leave the mansion.

Jess was the first car to accelerate down the pavement, Alexia following close behind. The black car in front was sure to use a tiny remote mounted on the car's dash to successfully open the gate, so that the two could quite easily leave the residence.

"Dudes, I am getting some naked pics of them!" the man who had pushed Alexia into the pool called out to his buddies, waving his camera phone in the air. "Wish me luck, bros!"

With the male portion of the crowd cheering him on, he started towards the door, only to find it locked tightly with something.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed, exerting more force on the doors to try and gain access to the front of the mansion.

"This door doesn't even lock!"

Sensing something was desperately wrong, he resorted to climbing a steel frame on the wall where numerous vines were growing, so that he could peer over the stone wall and see what was going on.

The man was shocked to the core by what he saw occurring; he witnessed two of Hef's expensive luxury vehicles being driven out of the mansion's winding driveway, with the mysterious party guests at the wheel of each. In a panic, he jumped down from the wall, rushing toward the confused partiers.

"DUDES! DUDES, THEY GOT HEF'S CARS! THEY STOLE 'EM!"

Audible gasps were heard from the gathered crowd, and the entire gathering was suddenly thrown into panic. A few of the men and all of the security guards rushed toward the doors in a futile attempt to take back the cars that had already hit the blacktop and were speeding toward Simeon Yetarian's dealership. A few others called the police, informing them of the auto theft.

"Yeah...yeah, it's the Richman Mansion," a practically-topless female informed the 911 operator. "Please hurry, I think they might be-"

She heard something hitting the ground hard. She turned around to find Hef Hilton, slumped out of his pool chair and lying on the ground, gasping for breath.

"OH MY GOD, HEF!"

"GRANDPA!"

The blonde-haired man who had let the thieves in in the first place rushed over to his millionaire grandfather, who was now going blue in the face. The man desperately tried to save him, but could do nothing. Hef had been inflicted with a massive heart attack, caused at least partially by the shock of having his cars stolen.

"Please, send an ambulance too! I-it's Hef!" the woman continued talking on the phone. "Yes...yes, it is Hef Hilton! Just hurry!"

Hef's grandson buried his face in his grandfather's now-motionless body, his shoulders shaking violently from sobbing.

In contrast, Jess and Alexia laughed gleefully as they sped down the road, zooming past the slow lunchtime traffic in a happy joyride, unaware of the grief they had caused back at the mansion.

"Oh my God, did...did we really just do that?" said Alexia, the thrill of driving a stolen car leaving her breathless with excitement.

 _"Hell yeah, we did,"_ Jess corroborated, communicating with her friend by way of a two-way radio system implanted in the cars. _"Now all that's left is to get these rides to the dealership and claim our payment. Pretty easy money, if you ask me."_

"Do you usually do it like this? Like...steal cars by breaking in and going undercover?"

 _"Nah...nah, there's usually more bullets and blood involved in it. This time, the most convenient option was to just play it cool for a while. I mean, we're kinda lucky that we're both girls, Lexi. If we had been, like, big black dudes at the gate, then they prolly would've called the cops on us right away."_

Alexia snickered at this image, agreeing wholeheartedly with Jess's sentiment.

The joking atmosphere between them abruptly stopped as they heard something that no criminal ever wants to hear: the sound of police sirens.

Alexia tensed up in fear at the sight of red and blue lights in her rearview mirror; two police cars appeared from a nearby corner and pulled onto the road to give chase. Other nearby cars pulled to the side of the road, as was customary to let siren-wielding vehicles glide through traffic faster.

 _"Los Santos PD. You are in possession of stolen vehicles,"_ announced a policeman from the PA system on his cruiser. _"Pull over and come to a complete stop."_

"Shit! Shit, Jess, they're right on us!"

 _"Aww, maaan, just as we were...A-alright, just stay on me, Lexi. I know a good place we can lose these guys, but you have to stick with me, okay?"_

"Yeah, yeah, of course!...I-I trust y-"

Suddenly, she lurched forward in her seat; a police car had rammed her vehicle from behind with its pull bars. Luckily, she managed to retain control of her Stinger GT, but this did not prevent her from descending into full-on panic mode.

 _"Did I fucking stutter?"_ the agitated policeman announced yet again. _"Pull over and stop the cars."_

 _"Yeesh. They're prickly today, aren't they?"_ remarked Jess calmly. _"Let's hang a left turn, try and lose these dudes."_

Jess cruised over to the left, cutting off a few cars in the process, with Alexia and the two police cars following close behind.

Barreling down a busy shopping district in the city, the police tried a few more times to perform a PIT maneuver on Alexia's vehicle, but the simple abundance of people and cars around them prevented them from making much progress. Her hands shook on the steering wheel, as she feared that any moment they would successfully spin her out and arrest her, where her previous fear of being shipped to Bolingbroke would be realized.

Jess maneuvered her vehicle with ease around pedestrians and parked vehicles, Alexia only avoiding hitting these objects because she was following her friend's lead. Soon enough, backup was called in from a nearby police station, ushering three more cops to join the chase; the cacophonous sound of sirens bounced off of nearby buildings and skyscrapers, echoing through the entire downtown area and making Alexia's anxiety even worse.

 _"It's gonna be okay, Lexi,"_ Jess attempted to comfort her. _"Just follow me, do exactly as I do, and we're gonna get through this, alright?"_

"O-okay, but w-w-what's your plan for losing the cops, exactly?" asked Alexia, her voice just as shaky as her hands were.

 _"Oh, I'm glad you asked. You see that overpass up ahead?"_

Alexia peered ahead, helping her to notice that the road that they were travelling on did eventually cross directly above the interstate.

"Yeah. Yeah, I see it."

 _"Alright. Well, in a nutshell, the plan is to drive the cars through that hole in the concrete barrier right there."_

Catching sight of the gap in the barrier as well, Alexia became increasingly frightened, knowing how dangerous driving cars off a bridge and into the wrong lane of traffic on the interstate was.

 _"They've been doing construction on the L.S. Metro for a while now, so we'll take an open tunnel right in front of it into the system and escape through there. Just trust me, Lexi. Trust me."_

"JESSSSAAAAMMIIIIIIIIINNNEE!"

Before she knew what she was doing, Alexia shot off the overpass and was sent gliding through the air, following Jess's lead. The cops followed them in this fashion (or at least, they attempted to). Two of them rammed into the sides of the concrete barrier, while another drove off of it at an unfortunately awkward angle, causing the car to roll over on the hard highway, stuck in the wrong lane of traffic.

Unfortunately, at that very moment, a semi truck carrying a tankload of gasoline was travelling on the interstate, and the sight of an upside-down police car caused its driver to panic. He swerved sharply to the left, only to crash into a couple of vehicles travelling next to him and cause the truck to roll over on its side, its highly-flammable cargo detaching in the process and blocking all lanes of westbound traffic.

The incapacitated truck eventually crashed into the police vehicle; simultaneously, a car that didn't brake fast enough collided head-on with the detached tank, causing a massive explosion that engulfed many nearby cars and people.

Alexia and Jess were lucky enough not to get charred by the explosion and to successfully escape through the excavation tunnel without any of the remaining cops following them.

 _"WOOHOO! Things are getting exciting!"_ cheered Jess, who sounded as if she was having the time of her life.

Alexia was starting to feel lightheaded; her heart was pounding at an allegro tempo, she was perspiring enough to further dampen her drenched clothes, and she had very nearly wet herself from the exceedingly frightening experience. She began to wonder just how Jess continued to be so joyful and carefree, even after she had witnessed many innocent people die in a fiery, Michael Bay-style explosion.

Both women turned their headlights on, as the newly-excavated metro tunnel was exceedingly dark. Alexia continued to follow her friend through the winding maze, as she assumed that she knew the way very well from having escaped the cops so many times down here.

Soon enough, they came across a group of Hispanic construction workers, most of whom were illegal aliens hired by mob boss and construction manager Enzo Bonnelli for dismal pay and slave-labor conditions. Hearing the echoing roar of engines over the sound of East Los FM broadcasting over a tiny portable radio, the migrant workers panicked when they saw two pairs of headlights coming straight towards them.

"¡Ay dios mío!"

"¡Agentes de immigración!"

The workers scrambled over behind barriers and ran away so that they would not be seen or run over by the fast-approaching cars.

"Uhh, ¡lo sentimos!"Alexia shouted an apology out of her window as they proceeded down the tunnel, away from the workers.

 _"Graah, somethin' somethin'...build a wall,"_ Jess grumbled, as she did not understand any Spanish.

Jess navigated the two through the tunnels, passing by a few more workers that were installing electric wiring that would propel the subway cars down the tracks. The tunnels became increasingly darker as they progressed, lit only by intermittent pockets of sunlight that metal grates above allowed in. This part of the construction project was also remarkably filthy, with stagnant rainwater and colonies of rats filling its corridors. This created a bit of a downside to Jess's escape route, as the expensive luxury cars soon became caked with mud and squished rodent parts as they proceeded down more underdeveloped sections of the tunnel that were not yet completely filled in with concrete.

Finally, Alexia quite literally came to see a light at the end of the tunnel, which in this case was brilliant daylight. The cars triumphantly emerged from the pitch-black abyss, coming to a stop next to where the tunnel ended in the LS River, the city's gigantic concrete flood control system that transports all of the city's dirty water and sewage into the nearby Pacific Ocean.

Now that her car was stopped and they had lost the cops, Alexia took the opportunity to try and calm herself; she took several slow, deep breaths, which helped to reduce her rapid heartbeat and trembling hands. She leaned back in her seat, rolling down the window so that she could suck in some semi-fresh Los Santos air.

Jess, in contrast, stepped out of her car fresh as a daisy, with an upbeat smile spread across her face.

"Awww, yeah, boiii!" she triumphantly proclaimed to her friend. "We fuckin' did it! Oh yeah! Unh! Gimme some of dat!"

Jess started to perform a highly stylized victory dance, utilizing hip movements and a sort of half-moonwalk, accompanied by her scat-style singing/humming.

Alexia stared at her friend as she did this, amazed by her enduring level of energy and happiness after such a strenuous and nerve-racking series of events. From nearly drowning to being chased by cops and watching countless people die in a highway explosion, she felt utterly drained and ready to return home after delivering the vehicles.

She stepped out of her car as well, her still-wobbly legs nearly causing her to fall onto the litter-strewn surface next to the raging river. She dumped a large amount of water out of her shoes, then started to wring some of it out of her damp longsleeved shirt, squeezing the bottom portion of it so that enough water to fill a good-sized drinking cup splattered onto the decaying concrete.

Once a large patch of her shirt was sufficiently dry, she took her pistol out of her back pocket and gave it a good wiping down. It had been submerged underwater for several seconds as she struggled to stay afloat in the pool, and visible beads of water stuck to its shiny metal surface. Of course, Alexia was knowledgeable enough about firearms that she knew it was still capable of firing, just as long as she gave it a more thorough cleaning back at home.

Her only other pocket content was her black iFruit phone, whose screen she made sure to wipe clean as well. Fortunately for her, she possessed the latest model smartphone, which her uncle had sent to her as a cherished birthday gift the previous year. This particular model was made waterproof after an influx of idiots taking pool selfies and dropping them into water.

"Oh yeah! Go, Jessie! It's ya' birthday! In 10 months!"

Jess continued celebrating for an inopportune amount of time, eventually adding some celebratory butt-shaking to her routine. Alexia walked over to her, with no intention of participating in the semi-excessive celebration.

"Oh my God, Lexi, that...you were brilliant back there!" said Jess, temporarily halting her victory dance to congratulate her. "You really got me out of a jam, girlfriend!"

Alexia simply stared up at her taller friend, still confused as to what she was congratulating her on. She had perceived herself as having done nothing of significance at the party besides falling into a pool. Jess had carried her through most of the mission, and she saw herself as contributing very little to their success in commandeering the rides.

"...Why you lookin' at me like that?" Jess questioned her as soon as she noticed Alexia's puzzled expression.

"Um...I-I'm just kinda confused. What did I...do, exactly?"

Jess smiled; she perceived this as Alexia being humble and self-effacing, unaware that she legitimately had no idea what Jess was talking about.

"I just liked your plan is all. Like, when you pretended to be drowning, it kinda took care of both problems. It diverted those girls' attention away from me, so that I could escape. Also, it gave us an alibi for leaving, like, to change out of our wet clothes. Really, it was an excellent plan, but I've come to expect that from you. I mean, you are _really_ smart, Alexia. I think you're a..."

Jess stopped as soon as she took notice her friend's melancholy expression, constituting a downcast glance and watery pupils. Before Jess had the opportunity to look further into it, a visibly upset Alexia turned abruptly away from her, walking a few paces toward where the artificial river flowed through the center of the storm drain. She observed silently as a few pieces of cardboard and garbage sailed past her, carried by the cutting current that was significantly faster and more potent than that of the pool that had nearly drowned her.

Alexia was particularly saddened by the fact that, this whole time, her friend had thought her to be pretending, when in reality her life actually was in danger. Because Jess was her best and practically only friend, she thought she would know her well enough to take a hint from her various distressed mannerisms and prevent such an extreme misunderstanding.

Her emotional instincts had since kicked in, commanding her to lash out at Jess with zealous rage and hatred. How dare she accuse her of such a thing, feigning being in serious danger so that she would have to come and rescue her. And for that matter, why did she insist on treating this job as if it were a stupid game or party, laughing and pumping her fists joyously as she and many others were put into serious life-threatening situations, some even dying in the process?

Impetuous thoughts such as these are why she had forced herself to turn away, before her angry mental composition could take control and destroy the beautiful friendship that they had formed over the course of the past day. It had happened before, with some of the few friends that she'd managed to make over the years, and she was not going to let it happen again.

Jess's happy demeanor had been wiped away by her friend's sudden detachment and morose comportment. At first, she had wondered just what she had said that caused her to be so upset with her. But, contrary to Alexia's beliefs at that moment, Jess did know her new best friend quite well, so it didn't take long for the truth to register clearly in her mind.

She walked up beside Alexia, yet kept her distance for a while until she had calmed down some more. She did not yet have the nerve to look up and acknowledge Jess's presence.

"...You really can't swim, Alexia?"

She was not quite sure how else to ask this, and she feared that the bluntness of her question would make Alexia even more upset.

However, she kept her gaze fixed at the river, while shaking her head no to Jess's question. She was sorely afraid to respond in words, fearing that her mental disorder would have the perfect opportunity to cause real damage if she dared to open her mouth.

Thankfully, she didn't have to, as Jess spoke immediately afterwards.

"Oh my God...Lexi, I...I am so sorry. I-I just thought that..."

She stopped for a while, partly to structure her next words, but mostly because she was extremely upset that she had failed to realize the very real danger that Alexia was in, and had taken the matter so trivially.

"I...If I knew that you were actually drowning, then I would've acted on it a lot differently. Don't think that I don't care about you, Alexia, because...I do. Like, a lot. n fact...to tell you the truth, if something were to happen to you, then...I don't think I could continue living for very long..."

Jess had temporarily looked down into the murky depths of the concrete river, following various pieces of trash and debris that were being carried on southward by the swift current.

She looked up, to be greeted by the sight of Alexia's beautiful greenish-blue eyes that gleamed like fine-cut emeralds in the sunlight. Her eyelids were somewhat red around the edges, the result of holding back tears induced by stress and vexation.

Now that she had her friend's full attention, she continued.

"Yeahh, in all honesty, I'd probably just off myself after a few days, maybe. Probably not even that...You're my best friend, Alexia. And I'm the one that's supposed to be protecting you and teaching you all this stuff. So, if you died...I'd really have nothing left to live for. I know it sounds kind of extreme because we haven't been friends for that long, but it's true. Like, besides the fact that the Skulls and my friends would all turn their backs on me, and your uncle would probably torture me to death anyway if I didn't just take the honorable way out...I would be losing one of the few people in my life that genuinely cares about me, and that I care for..."

At this point, Jess was going misty-eyed as well from dwelling on such a dark and depressing scenario as her best friend dying. She took a moment to collect herself before she could sufficiently carry on.

Suddenly, an arm snaked its way around her back to support Jess around her bare waist. She turned her head to the side to see Alexia, now beaming with a smile and a much more warmhearted disposition.

"I know you care about me, Jess. I...I was fucking stupid for doubting that, even for a second...You're such a nice and considerate person, and...you did teach me a lot today. How to jack cars, get away from the cops, hack security systems. You're doing a great job as my...helper-outer, as you call it, and an even better job as my friend. I mean, we've only known each other for, what, a day? And already, you say you'd rather die than be apart from me...I don't even think my own mother loves me that much, or anyone else for that matter. I just find it really incredible, how you're so selfless and good-natured that you can grow to care for someone that quickly...I love you, Jess. I hope we never have to be apart like that, because I just couldn't stand losing you either."

Without saying another word, Jess hugged Alexia tightly around her shoulders, letting out all tender feelings in the form of a constricting bear hug. Alexia allowed her to let it all out, despite the pain that she soon felt in her upper body. Jess was a very strong woman, as she could probably exert enough force with one hug to crush at least 3 bunnies.

Alexia let herself sink into her friend's body, her head resting on her pillow-like chest as she allowed Jess to squeeze her like a human teddy bear. Knowing that Jess cared so much about her, she was more than happy to be there to absorb all the bad feelings and emotions that she harbored.

"Y'know, I could...probably teach you how to swim. Y'know, if...if you wanted to learn."

Alexia looked up into her friend's face, now streaked with a few visible tear trails.

"I got a bigass swimming pool at my house that's way better than theirs. Really, I've been swimming ever since I could walk, Alexia. I even starred in a really cheesy straight-to-VCR movie when I was eight years old, I played a little girl that became an accomplished lifeguard. I'm just sayin', I...I think I'd make a great teacher."

"Yeah...yeah, I think I'll do that sometime..."

Alexia clung to her friend for several more moments in the middle of the filthy sewer. The dull bellowing of traffic, across the many overpasses and bridges that crossed above the river, bounced off the concrete walls of the sewer and made for a slightly unsettling set of background music for their tender embrace.

Soon, Alexia was able to pick out another sound, below the symphony of the industrial city and the raging roar of the waste-ridden river beside them. She recognized it as the sound of other people sniffling, and it originated from directly behind them.

They turned around to face the three hobos that had gathered around the hugging women. They had on multiple faded jackets, despite the near-90-degree day, and were apparently touched by the emotionally-charged conversation that had just occurred, as they were actively wiping tears and snot from their dirty faces.

Jess, sensing danger, immediately reached for her submachine gun in her back pocket, while still holding Alexia close to her body.

"Wow...such a beautiful friendship..." one hobo said, blowing his nose on his sleeve.

"We are so sorry, y'all. We came over here because we saw that you had your backs turned on those nice expensive rides over there, we planned on takin' them. But..."

The African-American hobo showed immense guilt, looking away from the women in front of him shamefully.

"...We heard everything...And we couldn't, in good conscience, do somethin' like that, that would tear apart such good friends."

Jess and Alexia looked at each other again, even more confused than when a rich fratboy had let them into his grandfather's mansion with little to no questioning of their motives. Here were three hobos, probably starving and dependent on drugs, who were brought to tears by their display of love and tenderness.

"Um...thanks...?" Jess started, but was not quite sure how to respond to this.

"No...don't say anything..." the third hobo, a haggard female, interjected. "Just go...go and live your lives together...and don't ever take that magnificent friendship of yours for granted, ya' hear?...It's not very often that a bond that strong between two people is formed."

"I miss my pet rock!" the first hobo broke down, spilling onto the concrete shore of the river.

"I said _people_ , ya' numbnuts!"

The female hobo suddenly became angry, kicking her partner in the shin as he was crumpled amongst the garbage and litter strewn about the sewer.

They immediately took the message, hurrying to their cars and speeding south down the river, away from the gathering of homeless people. Jess led the way as they climbed an embankment in the sewer that led them to the Los Santos train depot. Making their way past a few rusty old train cars and watching for any active locomotives, they eventually crossed over onto the road.

Cruising through traffic, this time without any cops chasing them, they headed towards Simeon Yetarian's exceedingly shady car dealership in South Los Santos, where they would soon receive a hefty payment for the hard work they had put in today.


	12. You Take the Moon and You Take the Sun

**Y'know, my dudes...I'm kinda thinking of making these chapters shorter. It would just make it a lot easier to read, and it would greatly speed up publication time. Especially since I've got the ACT and AP exams coming up, I just won't have much time to be having fun and writing action-packed fanfictions.**

 **In this concise collection of ~7K words, Alexia and Jess receive their payment for all the trouble they went through in the previous two chapters. Will it all be worthwhile, or is Simeon Yetarian really out to con them as well, just as he has so many others? If he does live up to his word, what will two carjackers do with all their hard-earned funds? What are the side measurements of a 30-60-90 right triangle?**

 **I...have to study that last one 'cause I dunno. Read over this cute little baby of a chapter to find out the other answers.**

As soon as the two cars pulled into Southern San Andreas Super Autos, a newly-designed facade located at the crossroads of the Downtown area and a much-poorer ghetto on the other side of the Olympic Freeway, Alexia and Jess were greeted ecstatically by its proud immigrant owner.

Simeon Yetarian, a short, balding Middle-Eastern man with a prominent nose and thick, protruding eyebrows to match, was standing in the back alley of the dealership. They could tell he had been awaiting their return with much enthusiasm, due to the way he joyously came up to them immediately after they stepped out of the cars.

"Ohh, excellent! Excellent job, you two!" he exalted them, shouting his appreciation for the whole world to hear.

Without warning, the overly excited man went up to Jess and hugged her, pinning the surprised woman's arms by her sides.

"Aha, Lamar was right about you, Alexia! I knew you could get the job done, I am so proud of you! I think you and I will make for a great partnership, ah?"

"Umm, I'm not..."

Jess urgently nudged her head over towards the smaller, more insignificant woman behind her, who smiled timidly and gave Mr. Yetarian a light wave.

The Armenian-American con artist, acknowledging his error, released Jess and walked over to face the woman he had talked to over the phone a few hours prior.

"Sorry about that..." he apologized, looking down at the shorter girl in front of him. "But, ah, like I said, you seem to be very dependable, my girl. You have delivered these cars successfully, and I hope that you could do the same for the other vehicles. From this point on, I shall proudly consider us business partners."

Simeon prepared for another hug, but Alexia instead held out a hand whilst retaining her shy grin, in anticipation of a pact-sealing handshake. Respecting her wishes on how to affirm their criminal partnership, Simeon gave her black-gloved hand a warm, firm shake, of the caliber that only businessmen were capable of.

After this slightly awkward first meeting, he strolled towards the two vehicles that had been delivered to him, appraising them so that he could assess how much he should pay the two women for their hard work.

"Hmm, there seems to be a bit of damage, to the Stinger especially," he commented.

"Yeah, um, we ran into some trouble with the cops on the way out," Alexia explained. "They were trying to ram us off the road."

"We managed to lose 'em in the L.S. Metro tunnel," Jess continued. "They got a lil' dirty and muddy in the process, but we could help you wash it off, pay for any-"

"Oh, nononononono..."

Simeon waved his hands in the air, rebuffing the girls' generous offers of help.

"Erm...tell you what, since this is your first delivery for my business, and I am quite a generous man...I will not deduct for the condition of the cars _this_ time. I will cover any costs of repair or respray. It shall not come out of your paychecks."

"Oh, cool..."

Jess, who had grown quite experienced in negotiation and enticement in her criminal career, tossed her long blonde hair to the side and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So, uhh, how much we talkin' here?" she said, giving him a sultry grin.

"Insistent, are you?" he replied with a similar smile. "Don't worry, I have set aside quite a healthy amount for your efforts today."

Out of his pocket, Simeon produced two humongous wads of cash, both of equal weight and value. He deposited these into the girls' cupped hands, as if they were beggars or starving children.

After flipping through the stack of cash and checking the bills for anything that would mark them as fraudulent or otherwise corrupted, Jess looked at the man with a newfound sense of respect, now that he had fulfilled his end of the deal.

"Wow. Not bad, man...What do you think, Lexi?"

Alexia, however, was much too astonished to respond. Flipping through the stack of bills, each marked with Benjamin Franklin's half-smiling portrait, was enough to leave someone who had grown up in such bitter poverty dumbfounded, now that they were in possession of such a large amount of cash.

She smiled widely, even giving a subconscious chuckle as she excitedly flipped through the stack of hundred-dollar bills.

"That is about $5,000 you are holding there," he informed Alexia, sagaciously picking up on her astonished expression as she held the small fortune in her hands.

"And believe me, there is _much_ more where that came from, if you could bring me the other cars on that list I sent you."

"Y...yeah, of course..." she finally managed to find words in response, her eyes not removing themselves from the cash.

Taking notice of a customer that had since entered the building and was reviewing some of the cars on the sales floor, Simeon retreated back towards the garage door that led into his business.

"I can see now that you two are a reliable pair of hands. Great work today. I trust that we shall see each other again soon, ah?"

"Aight. Peace out, dude."

Jess took her friend by the shoulders and led her out of the alleyway behind the car dealership, while Simeon closed his garage door as he retreated back into his business.

"...You alright, Alexia?" she said, concerned about her friend's detachment from reality and intent stare, but nonetheless smiling over how happy she appeared to be at the moment.

"Yeah, I...I've just..."

Alexia attempted to collect herself a little more, so that she could properly respond to her friend's concerns.

"...I've just never held so much money all at one time before. I mean, you know how I grew up and...It's...kind of a shock to me, that's all."

"Ooh, what do you think you're gonna spend it on?" Jess asked her enthusiastically.

Alexia found herself unsure how to answer this question; she looked down at the stack of money, unsure of exactly what she would do with such a large sum of cash.

"Girrrl, we should go out and have some fun today!" said Jess, jumping up and down in the dingy alleyway.

"We could go to the ice cream store and buy every flavor they got! Chocolate, mint, strawberry, the whole shazam! O-or we could go get spray tans, or waxes...Manicures, possibly?"

Jess smiled cutely and wiggled her fingers, indicating that she very much liked the last option. Alexia instead looked downwards at the large sum of paper money for a little longer, considering some other applications of what they could do with it.

"Nah, Jess...I mean, those sound really fun and all, but I feel like I have to spend it on something more...useful."

Jess, while disappointed that Alexia didn't share her desire for such random fun, nodded understandingly at her wishes.

"Um...There's an Ammu-Nation right next door."

Alexia's interest was now peaked. She followed Jess's index finger over to the red-painted brick building, which stood out like a target displayed among all the decaying concrete around it.

"I mean, the boss did say that we should be buying weapons to prepare for the whole...thing with the Roses. And I kinda need to replenish my arsenal anyway, so...to each her own this time, okay?"

Alexia nodded, smiling with content. Jess was not going to cover her financially this time around. This fact alone made her especially happy because their trip to the gun store would not have the opportunity to add to the already-impressive amount of debt she had accrued while hanging out with her. Even though Jess had told her she did not have to pay it back, Alexia fully intended to as soon as she had the money to do so. She felt that it was the least she could do for someone that cared about her so dearly and who had saved her life not once, but twice over the span of just 24 hours.

They struggled to shove the cash into their pockets before heading out of the alleyway and turning east towards the store. They did not have to walk for long on the sunbathed sidewalk before they arrived at the reinforced iron doors that led into Ammu-Nation.

The air-conditioned atmosphere of the shop floor granted the two women a blissful reprieve from the hot, humid Los Santos day outside. A man behind the counter greeted them, his only customers at the moment, with an amiable wave of the hand.

"Howdy," he greeted with what resembled a light Midwestern accent. "How y'all doing?"

"Sup, man?" the more social of the two greeted back. "We were, uh, just lookin' to buy some..."

Suddenly, Jess glanced to the side and looked at Alexia, who looked as if she had been stricken with catalepsy or some other acute illness that causes a person to become stiff and unmoving. Her eyes and mouth were open, seemingly staring off into space or some other unknown dimension.

"...Lexi?"

She nudged her friend with her elbow, but still she refused to move or even blink.

Alexia, who had never seen such an impressive display of weaponry in her life, was stricken with a sort of shocked excitement that merely resembled a catatonic seizure. She stared over all the fully-automatic and semi-automatic pieces displayed on hooks and tables at the front of the store. Many of these weapons, such as most of the submachine guns and heavy-duty rifles, she had only had the opportunity read about in some of the many books on firearms that she possessed and had never actually gotten to see or touch them in person.

But now, knowing that with her newfound career path she would eventually have the means to eventually purchase some or all of these magnificent weapons, Alexia found herself profusely overjoyed, so much so that Jess had to simply push her up to the front counter.

"Uhh...you okay, ma'am?" the friendly Ammu-Nation salesman asked her.

Seeing as the purveyor of these guns, the man who would grant her merciful access to them, was speaking directly to her, Alexia had reason to snap out of her dissociative state and to look at the man.

"Sorry. It's just, uh..." she spoke in her usual quiet voice. "It's...quite an impressive selection you got here."

"Why, thank you. We've, uh...kinda been low on a lot of stock lately. After that incident last night, with the gang battle in Del Perro, more and more citizens have been eager to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights. Which is quite easy here, since we have the least restrictive gun laws in the nation. No background checks, no waiting period, no nonsense. People can protect themselves and their families easier than ever nowadays."

"Yeah, I-I mean, you got so much stuff here as it is. Rifles, machine guns, grena-"

"Oooh, you got T-shirts?!"

Alexia and the salesman turned toward the back of the store, where an excited-looking Jess was browsing over a selection of clothing. These were mostly hunting vests, but there were also a few white cotton T-shirts with gun-related and patriotic logos printed on them.

Jess selected a specific shirt that she liked. Then, she decided to try it on right in the middle of the store; she was forced to raise her arms ridiculously high above her head so that she could poke them through the holes and put the shirt on over her pink sports bra.

The male salesman became so enthralled with Jess as she did this that he was thrust into a frozen state similar to Alexia's, nearly dropping the weapon inventory clipboard that he had been holding in his hand.

Finally, she successfully put on the shirt. It was rather tight-fitting, but this top at least successfully covered her stomach. On the front, emblazoned across her chest, was a red-white-and blue design that read _'You're About to Get a Look at my Other .44s'_. Why Jess liked such a sexually-suggestive design that was probably targeted towards much trashier women than she, Alexia did not know.

"Alright! I'm a true patriot now, Lexi! 'MURICA!"

Jess raised a finger pistol in the air, pretending to shoot and mimicking movie-style explosions and sound effects.

The man behind the counter, meanwhile, stared dreamily at the beautiful blonde-haired girl in front of him. His eyes cast a shade of intense love and longing as he rested his chin in his hand, smiling as he observed the 6-foot-tall grown woman fighting imaginary enemies.

Alexia, meanwhile, was much too eager to get to the task at hand, which was to build up her supply of weapons. Looking down at a display cabinet that encased every sort of pistol and melee weapon she could imagine in clear bulletproof glass, she expressed interest in a certain piece by pressing her finger against the glass above it.

"Whoa, that...that wouldn't be a..."

Realizing that there was a customer right in front of him and not wanting to get fired, the man removed her desired pistol from its display case to show to Alexia.

"Yep. This here is the Armor-Piercing Pistol, better known as the AP pistol. Default 18-round capacity, with astonishing accuracy and a soft, light recoil. It's also fully automatic, so it can do some serious damage if you know how to use it."

The salesman gingerly placed the deadly weapon into Alexia's cupped hands. She began to look meticulously over it, caressing the pistol like a small animal or a precious artifact. She practiced aiming down the sights of the unloaded gun, acquiring a feel for how its weight affected her aim.

"Hmm, you seem interested in that one...Would you like to try it out in the shooting range before making a purchase?"

Alexia looked over to the side, noticing for the first time a large open room adjacent to Ammu-Nation's main sales floor. This space, probably composing the majority of the store's total square footage, housed a modest office space for the man behind the counter, as well as a state-of-the-art shooting range enclosed behind even more bulletproof glass and a gray iron door.

At this point, Jess had stopped pretending to battle the Communists so that she could join in on the conversation.

"Yeah, let's do it, Lexi!" she cheered. "We could go one-on-one, you and me. Put those awesome gun skills of yours to the test."

Alexia looked down at the weapon in her hand one last time, taking notice of its newly-manufactured, shiny metallic surface that reflected a freakishly distorted image of her face.

"...Alright, you're on."

They smiled goofily at each other, despite the usually-confrontational nature of these words.

That being said, the salesman proceeded to this new area of the store, unlocking the door to the shooting range after each girl had paid the $14 entrance fee. To keep the competition fair, Jess was given an AP pistol as well, and both women were supplied with foam ear protectors and safety glasses to avoid potential lawsuits.

Despite Alexia's formidable skill with weapons, it could be inferred that Jess would make for a rather tough competitor. After all, Alexia had never before fired this particular weapon, while Jess had years of experience using it in drive-by shootings and raids with the Skulls. She had also learned to shoot in automated shooting ranges such as this one, while Alexia had been educated by a much more unpredictable teacher, Mother Nature.

The sales clerk addressed the two competitors by standing in the middle of the range, a dangerous place to be when there were bullets flying, but relatively safe now that all was quiet.

"Alright, ladies, here's how this-"

"WHAT?!" Jess shouted.

"Uh...I said this-"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU! YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO-"

Alexia graciously reached up and removed the ear protectors from Jess's head, suddenly making her hearing much clearer

"Oh. O-okay, you're good now. Thanks, Lexi."

The salesperson looked only slightly annoyed as he continued with his instructions.

"Alright...There'll be two colors of targets displayed. You with the black hair, on the left, you're gonna be aiming at the red targets. And you, with the...beautiful blonde hair and body, you'll be shooting the blue targets."

"Wait...what-"

"Highest score at the time limit wins!" the salesman quickly spoke to deter Jess from thinking further of his highly flattering description of her.

"Each target is gonna be worth 100 points. At the start, a big cluster of targets are gonna pop out of the ceiling above me in all different directions, and you're gonna have 30 seconds to shoot as many of your color as you can. And, uh, just so y'know, if you hit your opponent's target, it's gonna count towards _their_ overall score. So, uh...keep that in mind."

The employee walked somewhat uncomfortably out of the range so that he could operate its controls from a computer in his office.

The two girls, meanwhile, loaded their weapons in preparation for the barrage of targets that was to come. Alexia performed one last inspection of her gun, making sure her aim was adjusted for the light recoil that the salesman informed her of.

"...Good luck, Jess."

Jess finished loading the chamber of her gun so that she could smile at her friend.

"Thanks, girl. You too."

Jess knew that Alexia was probably going to win. She had witnessed firsthand the skill that she had shown last night with the Special Carbine, another weapon that she had never fired before. However, this was not something that had stopped her from racking up an immense body count and probably saving the tiny band of surviving Skulls from being completely wiped out.

Suddenly, a countdown started, beginning at 3, which was synchronized with loud beeps from the gun range's intercom system. The friends aimed their pistols into the range, anticipating whatever was to spring out of the tiled ceiling above.

The excessive amount of targets displayed all at once was quite overwhelming, a big cluster in no particular order that took up virtually the entire gun range. Nonetheless, the two began firing, hitting whatever happened to be in their line of sight that was in their assigned color. Every time a target was hit, a new one almost immediately sprung up in its place, only adding to the confusion and blocking some potential targets.

It didn't take Alexia very long to get used to how the AP pistol fired. She grinned wickedly, enjoying the light push against her grip as bullets rapidly discharged from the barrel, most of them landing right on target, near the center of virtually every red target.

Jess was performing excellently as well, just not good enough to overcome her friend's incomparable skill. Jess much preferred to shoot one-handed, gangster style, but she noticed that her friend was aiming with both hands on her pistol, and hitting targets effortlessly.

Alexia quickly reloaded after discharging all 18 rounds into targets, then firing another 18, then another. She continued shooting at the best of her abilities until another buzzer sounded, calling the time on the challenge.

The targets immediately withdrew back into the ceiling, while the two exhausted women put their pistols down. Shells littered the floor of the room around them in the now-heated room, filled with gunsmoke and continuing to resonate with the sounds of the tiny explosions caused by pulling the trigger.

The sales clerk wandered back into the room. The look on his face represented no less than utter astonishment as he looked at the two women, then back down at the computer-printed score sheet.

"Blonde Hair, you got 3500. Black Hair..."

The man rubbed his eyes, seemingly to confirm if Alexia's score was indeed real.

"You got...5100! A new range record!"

Alexia became just as surprised at the news at the salesman was. She blushed at having achieved this feat, scuffing her feet against the concrete floor of the shooting range.

He moved swiftly over to a board displayed in the middle of the room, on which sat a variety of record scores at both this mode of gunplay and many others that the shooting range offered. The man prepared to add a new slot atop the section of the board titled 'Color Targets: AP Pistol'.

"What's your name?" he asked in the manner he would ask an extraterrestrial its origin.

"Alexia."

The man wrote the name and her score in semi-permanent marker, right above a 'Jackson' that had scored a still-impressive 4900.

"Alright...Congratulations, Alexia. Lemme go fetch your prize real quick."

Both her and Jess followed the man into his office space. He reached into a drawer directly underneath his desk, which housed hundreds of priceless Ammu-Nation discount cards. One of these he withdrew and gave to the victorious black-haired girl.

"This card will get you 25% off _everything_ in the store. This includes guns as well as armor, headsets, hunting vests or even T-shirts like your friend has over there...anything."

Alexia stared at the red-and-white piece of paper in her hand, immediately knowing what she was going to do with it.

"Um, actually...Would it be okay if I gave this to her?" she asked him, pointing to her friend behind her.

Jess's eyes were thrust wide open in shock. She moved quickly to stop her from doing this, insisting that she could handle it.

"No, Jess, it's okay, I-"

"Lexi, no, you don't have to do this. It's your reward, you earned it."

"Yeah, and this is just what I'm choosing to do with it. Jess, it's no big deal. In fact, it's the least I can do, after all you've been doing for me."

Jess wished to push the issue further, but was afraid that it would escalate in front of the patiently-waiting Ammu-Nation employee.

She knew that replenishing her arms supply was going to be very expensive, and that as a more experienced crew member she needed more guns for the advanced missions she was going to be assigned to. Alexia, in the short run at least, would be handling the simpler jobs in her duties as the lowest rank possible in the Skulls and could wait for a little while longer to purchase more expensive upgrades and weapons. At the moment at least, her pre-owned weapons and the few she would be purchasing here would be sufficient for carrying out low-end carjackings and robberies until she had reached a higher rank within the crew.

Consenting to this offer much like Alexia had consented to receiving a free haircut the day before, Jess took the card after the Ammu-Nation salesperson indicated that such a transfer was acceptable.

She gave her friend a tight hug around her shoulders, internally wanting to curse her for being so annoyingly selfless.

Despite the discounts, Jess was still forced to spend the entirety of her $5,000, and then some. She bought the AP pistol she had used in the range, as well as additional ammunition for it. She also purchased ammo for her micro SMG and the assault shotgun she had received from Damien the past night. Then, she added a new gun, the Bullpup Rifle, to her steadily-increasing arsenal, with several rounds for it as well. Nearing the end of her money trail, she picked out a few assorted explosives, sticky bombs and grenades, which were plentiful and perfectly legal in the state of San Andreas.

Alexia also bought the AP Pistol, as well as a classic, LSPD-sanctioned pump-action shotgun, which would most certainly prove lethal in close-combat situations. Her eyes then directed themselves to a melee weapon, a deadly switchblade knife, which she subsequently bought. She also purchased some explosives, slightly more than Jess had bought because she still had quite a lot of money left from purchasing these relatively inexpensive weapons. In the midst of looking around at all the impressive sets of weaponry on the shelves above her, she had come to take notice of a peculiar item, a fully-functioning military-grade sniper rifle, that was dangling tantalizingly from its hook on the wall. But, she reasoned she simply had to come back for this gem, as its price tag was near $20,000.

Both women also made sure to buy several sets of body armor, which they would most certainly need in situations where they were exposed to gunfire for long periods of time. The very last item on Alexia's agenda was a jet-black combat vest, much like Damien's, that was equipped with various holsters and pockets to store multiple weapons at once. Jess already possessed one of these, and she could attest that this was a valuable item for any professional criminal. Accordingly, it was also the most expensive item that Alexia bought, costing near $3,000. This virtually wiped out any money she had remaining from the job, but it was more than worth it for what she knew she would be getting into later in her career.

The two women exited the store, overburdened with bags and body armors that they had to load into Jess's car. She had proactively called ahead to her mechanic, who had faithfully delivered it to the parking lot just beside the gun store.

Suddenly, Jess began panting heavily, leaning on the side of her green Dominator for support whilst she took in oxygen. She seemed utterly exhausted, a complete turnaround from the spry and jovial carjacker that had pulled off a near-flawless robbery of the Richman Mansion.

"Jess, are you alright?"

Her concerned friend moved closer, noticing how fatigued she had suddenly become. Even Alexia, who possessed much less upper body strength than her friend, was not this affected from carrying so many bags of armor and guns.

Jess took a few more breaths before finally accruing enough strength to speak.

 _"You...did not...have to do that..."_

Her acute onset tiredness had forced her to speak in whispery intervals, much like the asthmatic Stevie Kenarban from Malcolm in the Middle. Her speech, however quiet, still contained a tint of outrage and frustration at her friend for being so gratingly kind.

"Um...yeah, I know I didn't have to. I just wanted to."

Alexia gave her friend an innocent smile, which had the impressive effect of getting her slightly-angry friend to smile back.

She took a few more deep breaths, taking a seat on the hood of her car. Alexia sat beside her as soon as the car doors and the trunk were closed and everything was tightly packed in.

The two simply sat in reflective silence for a while, listening to the never-ending sound of traffic that filled the entire city, from the docks and warehouses in the south, all the way to the outskirts of Vinewood Hills. They sat, relaxing and watching the flow of traffic pass them by, pointing out and snickering at pedestrians or vehicles that they found funny or unusual.

Jess continued breathing rather deeply; despite a cooling wind that had been funneled through the skyscrapers to their north, which lessened the effects of the scorching early-afternoon heat, a steady stream of sweat continued to trickle down her forehead. Alexia found this to be quite unusual for her, since she knew how strong and physically active she normally was. Just yesterday, she had managed to chase after a Vagos gang member on foot for minutes on end without growing nearly this tired. And a few hours ago, she had utilized her excellent swimming skills to save Alexia from drowning in the pool of a geriatric bachelor and millionaire.

"Um...Well, I was planning on taking us out for ice cream or some other fun thing, but...seeing as we both don't have money now..."

Alexia nodded, looking upwards to chart the position of the Sun above the city. A quick glance at her phone subsequently confirmed the time as being 2:05 PM.

"That's okay, Jess. I, um, kinda have to do some things at home, anyway. I still haven't unpacked my suitcase from when I got here...two nights ago."

"Oh, I can help you," said Jess, perking up slightly. "Yeah, we could make that into a fun thing. Like, a montage, or something."

"Jess, you don't have to. If you're tired, you should go home and rest."

"Whaaaat?"

Jess said this in a high-pitched, sitcom-style voice.

"I'm not tired, what are you talkin' about, Lexi?"

She successfully rose from her hunched-over sitting position, managing to stand without the assistance of her car or the building behind her.

"I mean, I'm 23 years old, I'm in peak physical condition. Y'know, besides the whole...'drug use' thing I was telling you about earlier. But really, that hasn't left a big impact on my health, I don't think. I don't have sores on my face or premature wrinkles, like most other addicts. Overall...I'm good, girl. I could totally help you with that little thing of yours."

Alexia looked over her friend, still quite worried about her condition at the moment. She was still shedding sweat beads at an increased rate, enough so that stains began to form under the sleeves of her new T-shirt. Whether this sudden onset fatigue was a result of drug withdrawal was something that Alexia did not know, but it caused her much concern for her friend, no matter the cause. She felt as if Jess was possibly trying to hide something from her, and that her promise of abstaining from drugs entirely could potentially impact her health more than she was willing to admit.

A sudden vibrating in her pocket served to temporarily distract her from her friend's disquieting condition. Alexia withdrew her phone, struggling to see the caller ID through the Sun's glare on the screen.

"...Who dat?" asked Jess.

"It's, uh...it's...Damien."

Alexia lit up at the sight of his name and the phone number that she had received the previous night.

Jess nodded understandingly. She happened to think that their relationship was rather cute, and couldn't help but smile at how it was progressing.

The girl receiving the call pressed the button to answer it. Again, seeing as her friend was very interested in what was going on, she was sure to set the phone to speaker mode.

"Hey, what's up?" she happily greeted him.

 _"Hey,"_ responded a much healthier-sounding Damien. _"What you been up to?"_

"Oh, nothing much, really. I've, uh, been with Jess most of the day, we've been hangin' out."

"Kicking ass and eating waffles, you know," Jess added herself into the phone call.

The sound of Damien laughing could be heard from the other line, accompanied by Alexia's own quiet, breathy giggles.

 _"Yeahh, I was gonna guess that's what you were..."_

Damien paused for a second, halting his laughter.

 _"Hey...that wasn't you two over at the Richman Mansion, was it?"_

Jess and Alexia looked at each other, confused as to how he knew about this particular thing.

"Uh...yeah."

 _"Duuude, did you really...Hef Hilton frickin died, man. It's all over the news, he had a heart attack after two female carjackers broke in and stole his premium rides."_

Jess breathed in sharply between clenched teeth in an acute representation of both guilt and nervousness, scuffing her feet against the parking lot's dark concrete surface.

Alexia, meanwhile, was dealt a blow of fresh anxiety at the news. Of course she felt terrible that her actions had inadvertently led to the death of another person, especially a cherished American treasure like Hef Hilton, whose efforts have brought immense pleasure and joy to innumerable men and their teenage sons the world over for generations. Unfortunately for the two women who had just received payment for his cars, Hef's iconic status would probably motivate the police even further to find the thieves/murderers.

 _"But...at the same time, he was really old. Shit happens. I'm not blaming you or anything, I was just wanting to let you know, 'cause...since people loved him so much, there's probably gonna be an investigation into his death. I'd advise you two lay low for at least a little while. Just like we're doing over at the compound."_

"Oh yeah, um...how are things, over at the compound?"

Alexia wanted desperately to steer away from the conversation of Hef's untimely death, as she felt terrible enough about it already.

 _"Oh, uh, things are going...surprisingly smoothly. Like, with the inquiry into who betrayed us last night. With all the info we've gathered, I...think we'll be ready to make our move pretty soon. So, uh..."_

Again, Damien paused; while Alexia could not see him, she could clearly picture him rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

 _"Um...well, at the rate it's going, I'm predicting the investigation's gonna be wrapped up maybe tomorrow. So with that in mind...do you think you and me could possibly hang out...tonight?"_

"Wow, tonight? That seems kinda..."

 _"Really short notice, I know,"_ Damien completed her sentence.

 _"But, uh, I'm not demanding you dress up nice or anything. I just won't have time to do stuff like this once the war breaks out and the shit hits the fan. I just...I really wanna get to know you, Alexia. Take you somewhere nice, y'know?"_

Alexia was forced to think about his offer for a few moments. She understood Damien's plight, as she too wanted to know more about her potential future romantic partner. All she knew about him at the moment was that he was a veteran assassin with a distinct Liberty City accent. Alexia had always had trouble connecting with people in general, but she noticed that it greatly sped up the process and broke down many of her social barriers when she had gotten to know them extremely well: their thoughts, emotions, motivations, back stories, etc. This is partially why her friendship with Jess was so powerful, as she had virtually told her all of this on the day they had first met.

"Um...yeah. Yeah, let's do it."

 _"Alright. I'll pick you up outside your place...where is that, by the way?"_

"Uhh, Pillbox Hill. The luxury apartments."

 _"Damn."_

Damien chuckled slightly, as he was quite impressed with where and how she lived.

 _"Okay then. I'll pick you up around 8, alright?"_

"Okay. See you then."

Alexia said these last words rather quietly, smiling as she hung up the phone.

She looked back toward Jess, who had resorted to covering her mouth in a silent display of awe at how adorable their semi-romantic conversation was.

"Uh...I guess I got a date tonight," said Alexia.

She found herself laughing as she said this, simply because she had never found herself uttering this sentence before in her life.

"Um..." Jess started, as she was still recovering from the onset cuteness attack.

"...Okay, full disclosure...you two are probably _the_ cutest couple that I have ever seen. And I'm not talking 'omg rawr xD' cute, I'm talkin' like 'basketful of puppies and baby pandas' cute. It's THAT friggin cute"

"Yeah, but...um, the thing is..."

Alexia began to resume her normal shy behavior, rubbing the back of her neck as she smiled nervously, her cheeks again turning a rosy red color.

"What is it, Alexia?"

Jess moved closer to her, wanting to hear what Alexia was concerned about so that she could quickly dispel it.

"I've...I've never been on a date before. I don't know what happens on them or even what I'm supposed to do. You think you could...help me out?"

She patted her shy, stammering friend on the shoulder, a gesture of comfort that indicated that she could indeed help her prepare for the big night.

"You can leave it to me, my darling. I've been on hundreds of dates...practically. I think I can show ya' a thing or two."

She ushered Alexia inside her car, where they could find solace in the air conditioner against the blazing heat outside.

Jess adjusted herself in the driver's seat, making herself comfortable in preparation for the advice she was about to give her confused friend.

"Okay, Alexia," she said with a newly-energetic voice, provided by the refreshing sensation of the A/C. "You may recall that I told you I used to date Damien back in my, uh...younger days. So I can tell you with confidence that you two...actually have a lot in common. So the whole dating process will be that much easier."

Alexia nodded enthusiastically at her teacher, Jessamine.

"I mean, you're both kinda quiet and sensitive. He might appear tough, but he's actually a big ol' softie. Just, like, not in front of his guy friends...Also, you're both straight-edge. Like, you don't do drugs. Damien normally has a beer every now and then, but most of the time, he strays _far away_ from that type of stuff."

Jess looked at a far-off object for a while, smiling as if she was suddenly hit with nostalgic memories of the past.

"Y'know, that's largely the reason we broke up. Me and him are just...completely different people. His main focus is work and getting things done, and mine is to have fun and enjoy myself...Well, that and he didn't really like all those shady drug dealers dropping by his house at all hours of the night. Er...our house, that we shared while we dated. It's his house now, though."

"Alright. So, uh...what would I have to do, like, on a d-?"

Jessamine suddenly clapped her hands together and perked up, as if she had suddenly remembered something important.

"Oh, sorry. I nearly forgot that part."

Jess couldn't help but laugh at her clear divergence from her intended topic.

She then started her expensive muscle car, the engine roaring to life as she turned the key.

"Um...to be honest, girls really don't have to do much on a date. The guy drives you around, pays for your food and shit. We don't have to do anything but just look cute and keep the conversation going...Which, I know you're introverted and all that, but I know you can talk to someone if you really connect with them. You have virtually no trouble with me, and we haven't even known each other for that long."

This advice was given as Jessamine craned her head behind her, backing out of the tiny Ammu-Nation parking lot and accelerating onto the road.

"Wow...that's all there is to it?" a bewildered Alexia asked her experienced friend.

"Yeahh, pretty much. Damien's a good guy, he'll be really nice to you and...he won't try and make advances on you or smooch you or anything unless you consent to it. But...if it goes really well and you do decide to engage in that way, then..."

Jess paused for a minute, again remembering something from her past romantic affair with Damien.

Then, the blonde-haired girl in the drivers' seat burst into a sudden loud spell of devious laughter, brought on by one of the more tempestuous, NSFW memories of their time together.

"Th...then, you are in for a treat. I'm telling you, he is _amazing_ in bed. Like, he really knew his way around my..."

Jess managed to stop a potential tirade of sexual reminiscing when she took notice of her friend, who was looking down at the floor of the car uncomfortably. She looked as if she was thinking heavily about something, quite possibly about what Jess had just mentioned.

"I-I mean, not that I'm pressuring you into having..."

Jess backtracked for a moment, seeking to ease her friend's discomfort on this topic.

"...Y-you really should wait and have sex when you're ready, Alexia. Whether it's with Damien or someone else you're into...Just don't be completely stupid like me and just hook up with whoever is offering it. Literally, I have had, like, 4 STDs because of all my poor choices over the years...Damien wasn't one of those poor choices, he's completely clean, but still...If you're compatible, then you're compatible. It all depends on your feelings, really."

Alexia gave a slight nod of the head to her friend, directing her gaze back upwards.

This sudden change in tone had surprised Alexia greatly. The entire concept of engaging in intercourse with someone she loved was not something that had previously come to her mind's attention. And for someone who had neither been on a date nor had her first kiss, it all felt much too sudden. She was sorely afraid that perhaps her lack of experience in this field would cause her to screw something up on their very first date, effectively ruining any chance that they would have of being together in the long run.

These unpleasant thoughts stayed with her right up until Jess pulled up on the curb outside her luxurious apartment complex. Jess courteously helped her in transporting all the guns and ammo she had bought inside, where she could store them and keep them clean and functional until she needed them.


	13. A Night Out From Under the Lights

**Waddup, my dudes? Sorry this chapter took so long, but it's another big'un. And it's a friggin romance chapter, so if that stuff makes you sick to your stomach, then you can skip this one.**

 **Publishing is gonna be a little more frequent I think, since school and all of its associated tortures have been temporarily lifted. I shall work my hardest to update regularly and to entertain you, because I've got a pretty solid idea of where I want this story to go. There's gonna be tons more adventures and a whole new direction to Alexia's criminal career coming up, so stay tuned.**

 **Also, I've learned how to do page breaks. Here's one that I crafted myself.**

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The sound of feet, shoes clonking against hardwood in an agitated track around the cloud-white sofa, was one of the predominant noises in the luxury apartment suite in Pillbox Hill. This monotonous pattering, a makeshift clock tick-tocking about the room, was none other than the product of its lone occupant, who was pacing nervously, thinking unproductive and worrisome thoughts about the big night that she had coming up. She was outwardly nervous, as one could tell from such a display of erratic inward reflection before her date's scheduled arrival. So distracted was she thinking through all the ways it could go wrong that she had started to chew on her fingernails, an old and very bad habit that she had thought she had gotten rid of.

After their brief foray into the gun shop, Jess had helped Alexia to store all of her new weapons in a conveniently-roomy supply closet. Then, once that was done, she had assisted her in unpacking some of the things she had brought with her from her home in South Yankton. Clothes, toiletries, and other essential products made up the bulk of the suitcase's contents, but there were also a few things that she wished to show to her friend, things which would help to clarify exactly who she was and where she had come from.

Among the various mementos and reminders that helped to prevent crushing, nauseating feelings of homesickness were a few framed photos of her family. Using these, Alexia was able to construct a clearer picture of what her life was like back at home. She told Jess everything she didn't already know about her, not withholding details such as her feelings of sisterly love and affection for her two teenage brothers and overall detachment from her often abusive mother. The reason Alexia decided to do this was because she felt that she had been much too secretive with her new best friend, someone whom she expected to be totally honest and upfront with her. She had already withheld the secret of her uncle much longer than she probably should have, but she wished to make up for this by telling Jess practically everything else about her past, ridding any atmosphere of secrecy that remained in their friendship.

Digging around a little further in the cluttered black suitcase, Alexia unearthed a picture of her father, Lynn Knight, holding his hunting rifle and posing over a freshly-killed deer, eyes wide open and tongue sticking out at the cameraman. Jess initially laughed at how funny this made the deer look, even though the city-bred girl most likely knew that it was dead.

What caused her to stop laughing, rather abruptly, were the golden letters that had been printed in clear, computer-formatted cursive onto the bottom portion of the picture, which read:

 _Lynn Ezekiel Knight_

 _October 6, 1973 - November 30, 1998_

She looked at Alexia for a long time after she read this, as it had come as quite an unpleasant surprise to her. However, she was quite honest in telling Jess about this part of her life as well. Included in her description were some of the few foggy memories she still had of her father and the feelings of desperation and hopelessness that had caused his death at such a young age. She also added the devastating effect that this had on her family, especially her mother, for years afterwards. Alexia admitted to Jess that she still thought about him quite often. She could not say with certainty that things would have been better for her and her family had he lived, but she could infer that her mother at least would not have deteriorated so rapidly into a state of constant depressive episodes.

This bit of depressing trivia put a great damper on Jess's spirits. In fact, it almost caused her to start crying over how sad it was, so Alexia decided to back off of this particular subject and focus on something else.

Jess picked out something from within Alexia's mementos. She seemed quite confused by the simple piece of white college-ruled paper in her hands, marked with barely-legible and poorly-spelled messages of good intent, wishing her such things as _'good luk on da outsid'_ and _'thnx u alexia'_.

Practically demanding an explanation with the curious look in her eyes, Alexia was now forced to explain a rather uncomfortable part of her past that she was still coming to terms with. But, seeing as Jess had told her of a similar event in her past that gotten her incarcerated, Alexia felt that she was obligated to do the same.

She started with that awful day in her sophomore year of high school that had landed her in juvenile detention and put Cassandra Simpson in the hospital for over 2 months. Again, she held nothing back from her friend. She explained how this event still haunted her greatly, to the point of her having sent 2 dozen lengthy apology e-mails over the years to the girl she had viciously attacked. So far, none of these had received a response.

Despite how bad she felt over having done such a terrible thing, juvy was one of the few places Alexia had managed to make some friends before joining the Skulls. Since she was one of the older and smarter inmates at the facility, she soon acquired a reputation there as an affable-yet-softspoken role model. Many of her fellow prisoners often went to her cell or her desk in the library for tutoring, or just for general advice, as they had readily trusted such a nice and quiet person with such details.

Jess did not know what to say about all of these new details about her friend. Personally, she was quite impressed that Alexia, normally such a quiet and mild-mannered person, had been so awesomely brutal by cutting a bitch who deserved it. But, she was also confused as to why such a smart and enterprising young woman had not elected to obtain her G.E.D. or go to college, instead choosing to pursue a life of crime.

While Alexia had wanted to get an education and make something of herself, she just did not think it possible after her release due to her family's dismal financial state. She really had no choice but to move back in with her mother and look for a job to help support her family. She hoped for a much brighter future for her two brothers, who had both been offered football scholarships from several local colleges. In fact, once the heat on her back died off, she planned on sending them some of the spoils of her criminal lifestyle to help pay for their education.

In the end, however, it was her uncle's influence and his vividly-worded emails detailing all the excitement and glamour in the criminal lifestyle that had turned her onto this new career path. It was also him who inspired her to rob Blackjack's Liquor Mart, a rather shady establishment on State Highway 69. No one was killed or even injured in the robbery, but Alexia had fired a live round near the cashier to intimidate him and had made off with just over $100. Both of these crimes were enough to land her in prison for many, many years, so she had been forced to flee to Los Santos and take up her uncle's offer of help in becoming a professional criminal.

By the time Alexia had finished explaining her life story, Jess had grown tired yet again. She had helped her best friend to hang up her clothes and posters and to store all of her books and heavy metal CDs, but she had grown too weary to do much else. Alexia, ever concerned about her friend's well-being, wrapped her in a warm hug and advised she get some rest. Jess readily obliged, heading out of the apartment and speeding down the road to her spacious mansion house in Vinewood Hills.

Ever since Jess had left, about 4 hours ago, Alexia's solitary thoughts had driven her into an aggravated state of pacing around her living room couch, occasionally stopping to clean one of her guns or restlessly flip through the pages of a book. She had since reapplied her makeup and changed out of her previous outfit, still damp and icky from the pool water. Her new outfit consisted of another pair of jeans and a black tank top, with a red flannel shirt tied around her waist. Even though it looked strange with such a warm-weather outfit, she also wore a pair of black wintertime gloves to conceal the scars from last night's assault of broken glass on her hands.

Numerous worrying thoughts ran through Alexia's head, all involving what was about to happen. Jess had attempted to inform her of what to expect on dates, but she was still quite anxious as to what all could go wrong. She feared worst of all that the conversation would come to a dreadful lull, and the two would be stuck in a repeating loop of unbearable silence for hours on end. After all, she had not spent nearly as much time connecting intimately with Damien as she had with Jess, so she was not quite sure what she was going to talk about with him.

Such a disaster would probably lead to him thinking of her as boring and not really into him at all. In truth, however, she did think very highly of this man she had met just the night before. She wanted very much for a relationship between them to work out, even if it meant breaking out of her shell a little more than she was comfortable with. She did find Damien quite handsome and remarkably friendly, a perfect potential partner for her, but she would still need to gauge him through these unconventional interviews known as 'dates', where intimate questions could be asked over food, drink, and other fun activities so that the whole process of learning would not be so tense.

The more she knew about him, she hypothesized, the more that there would be to love about him...possibly. He seemed generally cool on the outside, sure, but there was always the possibility that there might be something beneath the surface that would strike her as unappealing. The same could go the other way as well, if Damien happened to not like girls with anger issues and crippling social anxiety.

Yet another bout of vibrating in her jean pocket indicated that this was the moment for which she had been waiting and pacing for all this time. Damien had shot her a quick text, telling her that he was right outside the apartment, waiting to pick her up.

Alexia did not wish to keep her date waiting, so she quickly grabbed her purse. In the process, she also made sure to tuck her pistol and her newly-acquired switchblade inside. With the horrors of last night, the smoldering rubble and battlefield chaos of the former Bahama Mamas still fresh in her memory, she felt she needed these items just in case something were to go terribly wrong once again.

She headed briskly out of her apartment, taking the elevator down to the lobby and stepping outside into a suffocating muggy night outside.

As promised, Damien (or rather, his charcoal-black Guardian) was waiting for her on the curb directly opposite the sliding glass doors. Its headlights cast the asphalt in front of it in the heat of blinding headlights, much like the oppressive Los Santos sun during the daytime.

She made her way down the steps onto the concrete, heading towards the black pickup truck whose owner was still not in sight. She began to grow quite confused by this, a rather cold reception by her date. She approached the Guardian's passenger door, the humongous truck towering quite a few feet above her head.

At the last second, the passenger-side door swung open, revealing a familiar face in the driver's seat, casually leaned back and smiling at the girl he was picking up.

"Hey," he greeted with a broad, teeth-baring smile.

"Hey."

Alexia smiled as well, but it was much more timid and subtle, and was accompanied by a good deal of red forming on her cheeks.

Damien graciously offered one of his strong, calloused hands. Alexia took this so that he could haul her into the truck's passenger seat, a black leather-padded throne that the smaller woman found quite spacious.

The man taking her on this date shifted into Drive before executing a flawless U-turn across 4 lanes of traffic before zooming down the road, a good bit of tire smoke being left behind by such a quick egress.

Alexia subconsciously buckled her seatbelt, even though Damien wasn't wearing one at the moment. His outfit for the night was semi-formal, consisting of black dress pants and a light blue dress shirt that was a bit too small for him, showing just how broad his shoulders were. A bolo tie, in the shape of a menacing cow skull, hung from his neck.

"So, um...Where are we going tonight? I-I'm down for anything, really. I'm not really...picky about any particular restaurant-"

"Yeaahhh, um, here's the thing..."

Damien's composure suddenly changed from one of relaxed confidence and control, as he was about to tell her something important.

"...We can't really be going anywhere tonight that's too...public."

"What? Why not?"

"It's...it would just benefit the both of us. I mean, I'm trying to lay low, and so are you. It'd just be way too risky to show our faces at, like, Vespucci Beach or a fancy restaurant, y'know?"

Alexia nodded understandingly. She couldn't help but sympathize with Damien's worried conscience; after what had happened last night, she could imagine most Black Skulls being particularly on-edge and slightly paranoid about making appearances in public. She herself had felt this way when entering Hef Hilton's pool party, where she had feared that some sort of LSPD or FIB ambush was being orchestrated.

"Sorry about this, I...I hope you're not disappointed or anything."

"No, no, it's cool. I don't blame you for having to take precautions."

Alexia paused for a second, searching for something to add to this, to fortify the assertion that she would be alright with wherever the date took them.

"...Really, any place we can go and just chill out and talk, that...that's fantastic, in my book. I'm okay with it."

Damien smiled. He took an exit onto the eastbound interstate, the very same highway that Alexia and Jess had driven their vehicles onto from an overpass in a daring escape from the cops.

"Don't worry, the place I have in mind is pretty cool. I, uh...I think you'll like it. It's kinda off the grid, so to speak. Real secluded."

"Wow, that sounds kinda..."

The man in the driver's seat looked over at his date.

"What?"

"Um...I just thought the way you described it just now, it's...kinda like what a serial killer would tell his victims, or something. Like, as he's driving them somewhere secluded."

Alexia said this while laughing, but inside, she was violently cursing herself for making such a comment.

 _'The FUCK was that?!'_ her inner voice reprimanded her. _'Was that seriously supposed to be a joke?! Grrahhh, STUPID-STUPID-STUPID-'_

This aggressive self-scolding stopped when she noticed Damien stifling giggles, putting his hand over his bearded face.

"Wow...Shit, I never knew you had such a dark sense of humor, Alexia...And y'know, I do love fucked-up shit like that, that was actually pretty funny."

Alexia grinned, and her cheeks again lit up. She shifted in her seat, looking out at the traffic and the increasing amount of visible stars as they headed away from the city center and out towards a much less densely populated area near the eastern coast.

However, she also came to notice another entity, hovering directly above the fluorescent headlights on either lane surrounding the pickup truck. In its voyage across the lazy evening sky, it seemed almost to be tailing them, its swiveling spotlight bright enough to substitute for another star in the blue-black sky above.

Alexia watched the object for a few minutes as it grew closer and exceedingly brighter. Eventually, the unmistakable sound of helicopter blades came to surpass the steadily-decreasing amount of traffic and other city-related noise.

Again inflicted with flashbacks from the merciless slaughter of last night, Alexia again turned to her date. He most likely saw such a flashy object in the sky, yet was unfazed by such a sight.

"Hey, Damien, I...it looks like someone might be..."

"Oh, that? Yeah, don't worry, that's just one of my bros in the helicopter. You met him last night. I told him to stay behind us, watch for anything that might be suspicious."

Damien picked up a small radio communication device hooked into the dash of his truck, similar to the setup inside the turreted Insurgent that Alexia had ridden in the night before.

"Yo, Joey!" he spoke to the nameless ball of light above through the speaker. "Everything good back there, man?"

 _"Nothin' suspicious on my end, D-Man. No one on your tail."_

Alexia now recognized the voice crackling through the airwaves as the same man who had been shot in the foot last night in the Rose assault. He had been forced to hobble and limp his way out of the bombed-out nightclub with the assistance of one of his buddies, but he was now apparently well enough to skillfully pilot a helicopter above the freeway.

 _"Don't worry, Alexia, we're gonna keep you safe. Any Rose motherfucker tries to spoil y'all's night together, just leave it to me and these heat-seeking missiles on my chopper to obliterate his ass. From behind!"_

Joey suddenly realized his fatal error, picking up Damien's jolly chuckling over his radio.

 _"Oh shit, I...I didn't mean it like that!"_

Alexia, meanwhile, was not particularly eased by this extra measure that her date had taken to ensure their mutual safety. She could partially understand avoiding public places and riding in a heavy armored truck, but hiring a fellow Skull to scan the roads behind them for potential signs of danger did cause her to think that there was something else, something that Damien was hesitant to concede to her.

She debated with herself for a while over whether she should voice her concerns over this. She knew that the truth might not be pleasant and could potentially even spoil this fun, romantic outing. However, she also felt that she had a certain right to know things like this, especially if it concerned her own safety and the integrity of the crew that she would one day be leading.

"...Damien, what's going on?" she started, only half-thinking through just how she was going to go about this.

He hung up the radio receiver and sighed, dropping the easygoing act he had been putting on.

"Look, I know all this might seem a little excessive, but I just can't be too careful in this situation. Especially on the brink of total war, where any-fucking-thing can happen to any Skull at any time. I...I just don't want that to be us...I don't want it to be you...Like I said last night, I am quite enthralled with you, Alexia. I don't want anything to happen to you just because I didn't take all the necessary steps to ensure your safety...You get what I'm sayin'?"

Alexia did not deny him on this, since she knew that he liked her and wanted to keep her safe. However, she still had the feeling that this was not all that had coerced him to take all of these extra security measures. She could tell that something was still bugging Damien from how he had suddenly become shifty and tense, his back straightened in the drivers' seat.

He glanced over at his not-yet-official girlfriend and, seeing as she was not convinced, decided to let down his barriers.

"Alright..." he began in a low register. "...I know you're not dumb, Alexia. You probably see by now that that ain't the whole honest-to-God truth...I'll tell you what all I left out just now, but...are you sure you wanna know?"

She nodded, looking at him like she had already been sucked into the story that had not yet been told.

Damien mentally braced himself for what he was about to tell Alexia. He took a minute or so to collect all of his thoughts and put them into a somewhat-coherent format, not tinged by any emotions that might cause him to break down.

"I told you at the party last night that I had killed someone a few nights ago, as part of my duties as Head Assassin. The guy was pretty high-profile, very wealthy and powerful in his crew...but he was also a complete and total scumbag. Abused drugs and women, raped and murdered without apprehension or clear reason...What, uh, provoked the boss to call a hit on him, though, was his treatment of two captured Skulls..."

Damien paused for a minute. His expression showed a clear sense of revile toward what this person had done.

"Well, the short version of it is, we had refused to pay the ransom or negotiate, so he had both of them nailed to a wall and...skinned alive...Of course, this is Kenny Mason, the Rose leader's nephew we're talkin' here, so all of it kinda makes sense. He was a sick, sick bastard that deserved what was coming to him. I mean, you know how the boss treats some of his captives, and even he wouldn't go to this level."

Both occupants of the vehicle were visibly sickened by this point. Damien struggled to keep his cool, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles gleamed pale-white in the orange-yellow streetlamps.

"So, uh, the boss wanted him dead, and he assigned me to the job. I decided to ambush him at this saw mill in Paleto Forest, where this major drug deal was going down. Easily 12 tons of mary processed out of there each day by the Ballas sect up there. The Roses, of course, wanted an alliance, and it turned out that Mr. Mason was gonna be there to personally accept the articles of cooperation. Now, the hit itself went smoothly enough. I hid in the upper loft of the mill, waited for him to shake hands with the Ballas leader, then blew the guy's brains out with a sniper rifle. Simple enough, right? Just like every other hit I've done."

He seemed to curse himself as he said this, as if it was in more of a mocking, scornful tone.

"The problems started afterwards, as I was trying to get the hell outta there. All potential exits outta the building were blocked, so I had to fight my way out...Then, just as I was sprinting to my Kuruma outside, some fucking a-hole popped up with an RPG and destroyed it. There were still hundreds of gangsters on my tail, so I ran as fast as I could into the forest. I had to hide out in the wilderness for a couple days, up in trees, behind rocks, anywhere I could take cover from the people that were after me. Now, I'd lived my whole life in the city, I'm not exactly a natural-born survivor. I had no idea how to catch food or make a fire or...anything. It was horrible. I was constantly on the run, because they had followed my tracks, or something...Thank Christ, I came across an RV. I stole it, lost any remaining goons coming after me, then made my way to the party..."

It was getting harder and harder for Damien to continue. He seemed extremely distressed, his hands now actively trembling as he held the wheel steering wheel tighter.

"Alexia..."

He seemed almost on the verge of tears, but was struggling to hold them back in her presence.

"Th-they must've followed me there somehow...We still don't know exactly how they did it, I had made sure I lost all those guys that were after me before coming anywhere near that party. I even ditched the RV in an alley and had my Insurgent delivered, drove it over there instead. If that was a bait vehicle with a tracker installed, that couldn't have led them to my location, so the thinking among us is...they knew exactly where I was going. A few hours before I got there, just as they were setting up all the security perimeters around the nightclub, they slipped in an agent. Turns out this guy was a fuckin' mole. He had been in the crew a few months, gathering information on us. He wasn't originally on security beat for that night, but he volunteered to take someone's place. Then, they just had to wait for me to arrive so that the mole guarding the back alley could let them in. Basically...all of those people in there died because...the Roses were after me...They died because of me..."

Damien looked as if he was fighting his own urge to cry with every sentient thread of his being. He resisted breaking down in front of Alexia, his potential future girlfriend, who might think of him as weak or inferior man if he showed such emotions.

However, Alexia's thoughts about him could not be farther from this assertion. She felt immense sympathy for the broken man in front of her, wracked by guilt and sorrow for his fallen crew members.

Again only half-thinking what she was about to do, she grabbed onto one of Damien's strong hands. Her comparatively-tiny hand clenched onto his in an affectionate, consoling gesture.

"Damien...You had no knowledge that the Roses had those kinds of capabilities and were planning an attack, so it wasn't really your fault. You care about this crew, and I'm sure all of your friends and the people you saved last night know that. Seriously, me and Jess and a bunch of others are alive right now because you were the one that led us out of that hellhole. And we need you to lead us out of the many shitty situations we're sure to encounter in this war...We can avenge all of the fallen...But we need your leadership and skill to do it."

He seemed to compose himself slightly upon hearing his date trying to comfort him.

"Oh, I'm not that great, Alexia," Damien countered. "I dunno why you're giving me all the credit, you were the one that saved our asses last night. You killed way more of those guys than I did. _And_ you brought the helicopter down, something that me and the others couldn't do. If anything...you should be the one leading us all."

Yet again, someone within the crew whom she assumed did not know of her relation to Remus Knight had commented positively on her character and good leadership qualities.

Alexia was quite flattered, of course, but she also sought to assuage Damien's heavy conscience and assure him of his own capabilities.

"Yeah, I mean, I can shoot well. We both can...But it's just really hard for me to be loud and rally others behind me, like you can. I probably couldn't have gotten everyone out safely, but you kept cool under pressure and consolidated our firepower. Just...don't blame yourself, okay? Blame the pricks that caught us with our backs turned...But even when unprepared, we still brought down a lot of their invading forces, so just imagine what damage we can deal in our counterattack. I-I think we can crush these guys, man! Get our rep back! Show 'em who really owns this city-"

She stopped when she realized that she was starting to become much like a pastor, preaching to a one-man congregation. Her normally-quiet voice had unconsciously risen throughout her attempt to cheer up her date, and a light film of gleaming sweat had developed on her forehead.

The speech ended in mumbling and blushing that was more typical of Alexia. Surprisingly, however, Damien seemed to take her encouraging message to heart. He beamed from ear to ear, a newfound inspiration surging within him.

Damien chuckled heartily at the stumbling, nervous woman beside him, who had just blatantly contradicted her earlier concern about not being able to rally people.

"Yeahh, I don't think you'll have any problem being a leader. Shit, you managed to inspire me just now...Alexia, you shouldn't be so self-conscious. That's probably your biggest obstacle. A fiery spirit like yours should not be suppressed by the stares and opinions of others. You should just be you, regardless of what others might think...Just so y'know, I think that side of you is fucking epic, you should totally let it out more often."

Her face was still flush with hot embarrassment, but she still managed a meek smile in response to his compliment. Desperately seeking a distraction so that she could calm herself for a bit, she temporarily looked away from Damien and gazed out of the window of the speeding pickup truck.

She expected to continue seeing the usual city sights of streetlights and headlights, but instead she was greeted by a blanket of total darkness. It looked almost as if a tarp had been draped over the vehicle she was riding in. The absence of any overhead lights along the road told her that they were no longer in the city. Instead, Damien's headlights illuminated the small rural road they traveled on, nestled between the mountains on the eastern coast and a nearby auto junkyard, which happened to be the last remaining landmark of the city before it turned to complete wilderness in this hilly region.

Damien then took an unexpected turn off of the road entirely and sped headlong into the Palomino Highlands. Alexia clung to her seatbelt for safety, as the ride through the grass and trees was incredibly bumpy. However, despite the darkness, Damien seemed to know exactly where he was going.

Eventually, the truck made its way up one of the mountains that stood like eternal guardians along San Andreas's eastern coast. This made her especially anxious because the last time he had done this, she had ended up with crippling abdominal pain and a compounded bruise on her stomach.

Thankfully, Damien did not drive off the cliff he was heading towards this time, instead bringing the truck to a stop a few yards from where the sheer rock face fell into the Pacific Ocean a few hundred feet below. As soon as Alexia came to realize that launching off the mountain was not his intended purpose, she opened her eyes, which had been clenched shut in fear, and looked out at the beautiful sight spread out before her.

The brilliant full moon was a colossus rising out of the depths of the Pacific, admiring its rippled reflection in the ocean swells. This celestial orb, as it levitated just above the horizon, cast shadows and a warm orange light across insignificant beaches and tiny rock islands that pockmarked the coast.

The first time Alexia had seen the ocean was just 2 days ago, and she had been so amazed by the sight that she had spent the entire 6-hour flight from South Yankton staring in awe out of the passenger-side window. The expanse of blue-black water stretched on endlessly, almost like the vast tracts of flat, semi-arid grassland that she had spent entire days hunting in. From this angle, sitting on top of a mountain, the ocean seemed to her even more prodigious, which served to stupefy the insignificant girl sitting on top of a mountain even more puny.

"...It's amazing, isn't it?" he remarked.

"Y...yeah, it's beautiful..."

She trailed off, unsure quite how to take the picturesque sight.

"I must say, this is quite the spot you picked," she signaled her approval.

"I know, right? I thought of a few places within driving distance from the city, where the tourists don't dare to venture. You live in this state for enough years, you kinda pick up on places like this."

He reached into the backseat of the truck, where a case of refreshing, ice-cooled drinks were stored.

"Cold one, m'lady?" he offered the bottle of Pisswasser beer to his date.

After staring over the oak-brown bottle, dripping with beads of water that glinted in the moonlight, she delicately took the alcoholic beverage out of her date's hand.

"Wow...You really did think of everything, didn't you?"

"Hell yeah, man. Even though this whole thing wasn't really planned at all, I-I did my best."

He took a bottle himself, easily opening both his bottle and Alexia's with a handy opener attached to his key ring.

Upon taking a sip, she immediately realized that the drink was swill. True to its namesake, the taste of this beer could be quite easily compared to something resembling cat urine. She had no idea in the slightest how her dad had enjoyed such a disgusting concoction that left such a hideous taste on her tongue.

Damien, however, showed no clear apprehension. In fact, the relaxed look in his eyes told her that he greatly enjoyed the taste of his beer. In contrast, she had noticeably gagged at the bitter potion and laid her drink aside.

Noticing her reaction, the corners of his mouth turned upwards as he continued to chug his bottle. She grinned in return, yet this did not stop her from growing heavily embarrassed. Jess had told her, after all, that one of her jobs on this date would be to look cute in Damien's presence. Such a blatant expression of disgust did not seem very becoming of a lady, but thankfully, the man beside her did not seem to care about such an infraction of the sacred rules of dating.

"So, um..."

Alexia started, as this caused her to remember her other prescribed duty on this date as a conversationalist.

"How long have you lived in San Andreas, to know about awesome views like this?"

"Um...'bout 7 years, give or take. I moved here for a variety of reasons: great weather, thriving criminal underground, innumerable opportunities to move up within an organization. It's pretty cool."

He took another swig of his beer, stopping afterwards to wipe drops of alcohol off of his stubbly brown beard.

"I, uh...You can probably tell by my distinctive accent and that little banter last night as we were escaping, but I hail from Liberty City. My parents were Italian immigrants, deli owners. We lived in the poorer section of town...I guess you could say I showed proficiency at an early age. I committed my first robbery when I was 12, and my first murder when I was 14. I was in a few street gangs and did odd jobs for rich benefactors and mob bosses, but as time went on, I worked as an independent criminal. Recently...the government there has been crackin' down real heavy on organized crime. They've, uh, outlawed the sale of guns and places like Ammu-Nation, so we had to turn to the black market. Also, there was all kinds of shit involving the various mafia families and whatnot. It made it really hard to work as an independent, not relying on some distant mob boss for my paycheck. In comparison, I heard that Los Santos's underground scene was thriving. I even gave up my whole lone wolf persona and joined a crew, the Black Skulls, because I'd heard that Remus Knight was pretty reasonable when it came to money and promotion opportunities. I can attest to this because of my high position and...my bigass mansion house in Vinewood Hills."

Damien, upon taking one last chug to finish his beer, looked incredibly dismayed that all of the liquid was gone already.

"You can have mine if you want," Alexia kindly offered.

"No...no, I normally limit myself to one a night...It was nice of you to offer though."

He sat the empty beer into the truck's cup-holder, right next to Alexia's mostly-full one.

"So, uh, I think you told me you were from...South Yankton, was it?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's pretty much the opposite of Liberty City. Very rural, lots of open grasslands and prairies. It's hot in the summer, yet we have blizzards and stuff in the winter...Lots of Confederate flags displayed on porches and trucks, even though we weren't a state during the Civil War."

Damien apparently found this hilarious; he covered his mouth with his hand to stifle the giggles that came on as a result of Alexia's remark.

"...What is it?"

"I-it's nothing really, just...I just didn't realize how funny you were, Alexia."

"I...wasn't trying to be," she said innocently.

"Yeah, but you are. It might just be the soft, high-pitched way you say it in, it kinda adds that extra bit of comedic effect, I guess."

The cute smile that issued from her lips was accentuated by the light coating of matte lip gloss that she wore and the formation of dimples on her rosy cheeks.

"Anyway..." Alexia continued. "I guess I grew up kinda similarly. My family was also poor, I lived in a trailer with my mom and two brothers...But y'know, up until my sophomore year of high school, I was a pretty good kid. I had had the occasional incident, of course, but I was at the top of my class, went to church every Sunday, never got into any real trouble...Until this one day where...I guess something inside me just snapped...This girl, she was one of my bullies in school. Now, I'd been dealt the basic forms of harassment before, name-calling and getting my ass kicked and such. I'd been able to take all of it pretty well, but that day...she pushed me into the teacher's desk, knocked the wind outta me...Reprehensible act, of course, but...that really doesn't excuse what I did to her afterwards."

By this point, Damien was heavily invested in Alexia's story. He was focusing not on the ocean or his empty beer can, but solely on the girl whose eyes were downcast in shame and repugnance for what she had done.

"...I dunno exactly how it happened. I remember I had been having a pretty shit day, and all those kids laughing at the freak emo girl lying on the ground, it just pushed me over the edge I guess...Next thing I knew, I'd picked up a pair of scissors from the teacher's desk, and I...and I just stabbed her...again and again, anywhere I thought would produce the most damage...I-I just lost all control, let all these repressed feelings of rage and hatred take over..."

Alexia found it increasingly hard to continue as the lump in her throat increased. She had already had to relive that terrible day when recounting it to Jess, but this second time was exceedingly tough on her.

"Damn..." Damien remarked, stunned by her revelation. "...She died?"

"No, thank God...paramedics got there just in time. I was sent to juvy for a couple years, but I got out on good behavior...Y'know, before all of this happened, because I was so smart...everyone used to say that I would go to college or cure cancer or some shit. But...it's hard to get a scholarship if you're an ex-convict, especially one with a violent offense...Same goes for even minimum-wage jobs. 'Course, I had trouble with interviews and stuff as it was because of my anxiety, my permanent record was just icing on the cake. So really, I turned to the criminal life out of desperation. I committed my first robbery only a week or two ago, I hit a small liquor store. I didn't even feel bad about it. The owner was a sexist dick that didn't hire women, I figured he kinda deserved it. Afterwards, the authorities were all over my ass, security footage was shown on the news. The heat grew and grew until a couple of days ago, I took a one-way flight to Los Santos and joined the Skulls. And...that's about everything, up to this point."

The air was silent for a moment, save for the chirping of crickets and the crashing of ocean waves onto the rocks below them.

"...So, you weren't really a criminal beforehand?" he asked after taking a few minutes to soak all of this in.

She shook her head no.

"Actually, I'm still learning a lot about this whole line of work. Jess has been really good at teaching me the ropes, and...so have you and the others. I never would have learned to steal cars or stick up drug deals or survive in a shootout if I was an independent, like you were."

"Oh, I didn't learn all that stuff as an independent. I had to rely on others to show me the ropes too...Even after I moved to L.S. and was assigned to an assassination squad, I was just completely clueless on how those kinds of jobs went. But with practice and patience, I got to where I am now. I...I believe you can do the same. Especially since your uncle is the current crew leader. He's just been-"

"Wait..."

Alexia became stunned by what Damien had just said. She questioned if what she had just heard was indeed real, or just an effect of the brilliant full moon playing tricks on her mind.

"...You know?!"

"Yeah, of course I do," he said nonchalantly. "He told most of the higher-ranking members about it, people he felt he could trust. But I didn't know if Jess knew or not, so I tried to act a little excited when you mentioned getting a phone call from the boss...Just so you know, he talked really good about you to all of us. He told us how responsible and smart you were, how you'll be a great leader once you become more experienced."

She could do nothing but simply stare out at the steadily-rising Moon in front of her, leaping out from the depths of the Pacific and casting the surrounding sky in its brilliant white glow.

In truth, she had told him of Remus Knight personally calling her after her introductory street race to boast, as she did find him quite handsome and she did not think that he knew. But now, knowing that this knowledge was readily apparent to him, it only caused her to feel like a complete and total idiot.

"...You just...you seem so calm about it...Of the people that know my secret, most of them are totally shocked and treat me differently..."

"Well, the boss kinda told us not to do that," he said, shaking his head in disapproval. "He advised that we treat you just like any other rookie and assign you to jobs that the rest of us don't care to do. I guess that some people just can't help themselves, when it comes to being around their future crew leader-"

This immediately caused Alexia to break down in her seat. She held her face in her cupped, glove hands, allowing them to absorb the tears that streamed from her eyes. She gasped for air and convulsed as her body was wracked by concurrent onslaughts of sobbing that she could not control.

Such a sudden outburst came as a great surprise to Damien, who looked awkwardly for a few moments at his crying date. He was not sure how to comfort her, but he felt terrible that his mentioning of her seemingly bright future triggered such a negative response from her.

 _"I'm sorry..."_ she sounded between wooly gloves. _"I...I don't cry that often, just..."_

He wrapped a supportive arm around her bare shoulders and held Alexia close to his body. Nestled like a small wounded animal into the crook of his arm, Damien's body provided such an overwhelming feeling of warmth and comfort that she began to cry even harder.

Alexia gasped for air in between sobs. Damien continued holding her tightly, even though he was very confused on how to deal with this situation. Of the many dates he had been on, he could say that this was the first one that the girl sitting beside him had inexplicably burst into tears. As someone who preferred to remain stoic and unfeeling around other people, all that Damien could do to console her was to hold her close, patting her on the back.

 _"I...I don't know...I don't know why..."_

"Come on, Alexia. Just spit it out."

Realizing that she had grown hysterical, Alexia quickly wiped her nose on her boyfriend's shirt and moved her face away from his body. She turned over to face him, revealing watery pupils and mascara running down her face.

"...I'm just so confused...Why am I suddenly entrusted with all of these important things?...I know he's my uncle and everything, but...I-I'm just a social outcast from the middle of nowhere!..And yet, now I'm expected to be the leader of the most powerful criminal organization on the West Coast. It...it just doesn't make much sense!"

Tears again dripped from her cheeks, accompanied by another clear fluid that ran down her nostrils.

"And for that matter..." she continued. "Wh...why did you choose me? I mean, you're such a handsome guy, strong and confident. Y-you can have any girl you want, pretty much...I-I don't even have boobs or a nice ass, I'm so awkward around everyone...so why did you want me, over all the amazing girls at your disposal?"

"Alexia..."

He patted his girlfriend's back, embracing her even tighter around her slender frame. He could clearly see that Alexia's outburst was caused by the same problem she had been divulging to him all night long - a drastically low level of self-confidence.

"Clearly, your uncle sees something in you that enables you to be an excellent leader. I mean, he wouldn't just pick some random family member to succeed him. I've worked for him for such a long time, I know he wouldn't make such a decision without knowing that it would benefit the crew. He knows that you have something great within you that's gonna make this crew truly great. And y'know...he's not alone in his excellent assessment of you, 'cause I see something in you too."

He gently pushed a few strands of short black hair aside, looking into his girlfriend's watery eyes.

"I see a totally awesome girl that's kind, smart, inadvertently-yet-insanely funny, and physically attractive as well. I've always had a thing for smaller-chested women. My friends think I'm weird for it, but frankly...I know I'm weird. It doesn't really bother me...Those girls you mentioned, most of the time, they're pretty vindictive and bitchy. Now, I've went out with Jess before, and she's a good lady. She wasn't like that. But...most of the girls that I've gone out with, they ended up being totally psycho or got way too demanding, so I had to break it off with 'em. But you, you're totally nice most of the time...I know I got kind of annoyed by it last night, but you were even kind enough to help out a fucking stripper that you hardly knew, practically carried her out of that building. That...that's pretty amazing, saintlike even."

This irked a smile out of her once again, followed by a gentle sniff to clear out any remaining mucus.

"Hey, if you're nice to me, then I'm nice to you. She was nothing but kind to me and Jess all night, so I just couldn't leave her in there to die."

Damien laughed suddenly, as he had thought of something funny.

"I...I bet she was pretty surprised when she saw a Skull extending a helping hand. Like, we're kinda famous for killing civilians."

"Man, I just..."

She wiped her eyes to clear any excess tears away, then focused on clearing her face, smudged with two trails of ink-black makeup.

"...Y'know, I feel bad about killing people as it is...I know those Rose guys did deserve it for slaughtering us, but still I...I was told from an early age that killing was just this unforgivable sin, even by God's forgiving standards. And me killing, like, 40 or 50 people last night alone...I don't know if I can be saved now."

"I don't particularly enjoy it either, y'know. Hardly anyone does, unless they're a total psychopath or something. It's just more of a necessary thing...And me, I was never all that religious anyways. I-it's cool if you are, I just...I could never get into it. Some dude in the sky telling you how to live your life and sending you to Hell if you're bad? To me, it kinda sounds like something a parent would tell their children so that they'll be good."

"It's not that black-and-white. Not to me, anyways...I just believe that everything we do has a purpose. Most of the time, I have no fucking clue what that purpose is, but...in the end, I feel as if all that we have ever done on Earth will serve some kind of greater objective, something we can't quite comprehend yet."

"Yeah...that is kind of a nice thought...If that's true, like...that'd be pretty cool."

Alexia briefly pulled away for a moment, but only to untie the flannel shirt from around her waist. She wrapped around her shoulders like a shawl or blanket before snuggling back under Damien's arm.

Staring out at the expanse of the cosmos in front of him, wondrous thoughts of their place in the universe began to take shape. Two souls, taking in the constellations and distant nebulas above the rising and falling ocean, felt finally at ease. After a series of intense conversations revolving around shameful past events, the two occupants of the lone pickup truck, surrounded by grass and rocks shrouded in nighttime darkness, had a newfound trust in each other. Alexia remained faithfully cuddled under Damien's arm and swaddled simultaneously under her red flannel. She listened to his heart beating and felt the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest, which helped to calm her significantly.

She was again forced to take in the natural beauty of this unnaturally beautiful location. The sheer expanse of the ocean and the cosmos left her stunned, even as the moon rose well above the horizon and gradually seemed to shrink away from its formerly-huge size into a smaller entity that blocked out portions of star clusters with its chalk-white glow.

Damien, meanwhile, noticed the effects of Earth's natural satellite on the girl under his arm. More specifically, her bluish-green eyes, which seemed to waver under glittering moonlight, fascinated him. Even though her eye makeup had been effectively removed by stress-induced tears, he came to realize that she did not need such materials to accentuate these already-magnificent gleaming orbs, which appeared as a beautiful border between her contrasting black hair and milk-white skin.

However short it was, he still had an easy time playing with strands of Alexia's hair. Silver starlight glistened off its dark surface, and it felt like strands of jet-black silk in Damien's rough, calloused hands. Her face indicated no stress at all in this warm, comfy position, snuggled up next to him. He had effectively put his girlfriend at ease, something which caused him to smile and to give himself a mental pat on the back.

He stealthily reached a hand over to the radio knob, which caused a slow power ballad from the 1980's to seep out from the truck's speakers, further setting the mood and causing Alexia to perk up significantly.

"Aw man, you like Love Fist?!" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah...you do?"

"Yeah! They're, like, the best band ever! I have all their CD's and albums...I-I even saw Willy one time, from a distance. He made a surprise appearance at our county fair after he got out of rehab. But...these guys are my heroes, pretty much. Their music got me through a lot."

This song, affectionately titled "This is a Power Ballad", happened to be Alexia's personal favorite. The pure emotional content of the lyrics spoke to her on a deeply personal level, which other modern artists could not replicate. Glam metal hits from the 80's and 90's were some of her favorite songs to listen to in her downtime. The songs of these artists, especially Love Fist, helped to drown out her troubles and fears that only the calm serenity of hunting could even come close to.

However, she did come to notice something else that calmed her significantly, something which she had discovered only very recently. As she cuddled with Damien and became engrossed in his cologne-scented warmth, all of her troubles seemed to melt away around her. In his embrace, she felt immensely safe and warm, as if the dark forces of the outside world could no longer get to her as long as she stayed close to him.

With all of these compliments being directed towards her, she couldn't help but notice that the man holding her tenderly was also deserving of praise. His strong chin was partially covered by a dark brown beard, but nonetheless stood out prominently, as did his magnificent maple brown eyes. They were so amazing, in fact, that she seemed to forget about the ocean view entirely in favor of his stunning good looks.

She continued to stare longingly at him as he again drove the pickup truck away from the highlands and back towards the city. Incandescent street lights and the orange glow of skyscrapers began to outshine the iridescent Moon. As much as Alexia loved these giant concrete edifices, she still chose to focus on the man next to her. Damien's eyes were forced toward the road, but he still drank in the sight of his beautiful girlfriend whenever red lights or slow traffic stopped the truck's progress. For the most part, the ride was silent, but this silence was far from awkward or uncomfortable. Instead, the spell of quiet that had appeared felt mutual in a sense, as they both feared that talking would somehow put a damper on the feelings of passion and love for each other that they felt.

At last, the truck arrived at the imposingly tall luxury apartment complex in Pillbox Hill, coming to a stop on the sidewalk directly in front of it. Damien, who had been so hesitant to leave his truck and meet his date a few hours ago, now walked beside Alexia, accompanying her to the door of her apartment.

On the way through the double doors and into the apartment's elevator, he discreetly sneaked a breath mint to rid his mouth of any remaining alcoholic taste. He knew all too well that nights like this could not happen often with a gang war going on, so exactly how this date ended would count immensely toward the future of their relationship.

She stepped inside her apartment, and Damien followed her inside.

"Whoa, nice place.."

Damien stared around at all the modern amenities and the beautiful Los Santos view outside.

"Did, uh, your uncle buy this for you?"

"He provided the down payment, but I have to pay him back with interest. I also have to take up rent, but...that shouldn't be a huge problem, once I become an established criminal."

Alexia sighed. She took a moment to look around her luxurious abode before directing her gaze back toward her date.

"Um...tonight has been really great, by the way. You think we could...do it again sometime? Like, in between battles or something?"

"I'll try my best...I really enjoyed tonight too. You're, uh...you're a really interesting lady, Alexia."

She smiled at her date.

"Thanks...You're, uh, pretty interesting yourself, Damien..."

They again stared at each other for a few moments, unsure of how to continue a conversation as they became so enthralled with each other.

Alexia did not quite know how it began. One minute, she was looking into the maple eyes of her strong, handsome boyfriend, and the next, her lips were locked firmly onto his. This virtual timeskip did not seem to bother the two lovers, who were much too busy expressing their love for each other through voracious tongue play. Alexia stood on the tips of her toes, while Damien graciously bent down to allow their lips to connect more easily.

As the kiss progressed, Damien came to notice that Alexia's tongue movements were very awkward and clunky, almost like the unsure maneuvers of someone who had never experienced her first kiss before. He tried to guide her toward softer, gentler maneuvers, she remained clueless that she was doing something wrong. Alexia's rational thought processes had since been clouded over with red-hot emotion, causing her to become lost in the passionate act. She breathed heavily, running her fingernails down her boyfriend's muscular back.

Damien, meanwhile, also moved his hands down Alexia's figure, even going as far as to touch the region just above the waistband of her jeans. Yet, he came to realize that he could not perform a certain trick on her that he usually did on dates.

Normally, at this point in a kiss, Damien would have taken the physical contact a leap and a bound further by reaching under Alexia's shirt and stealthily unhooking her bra. Usually, his dates did not object when he did this, as their attraction to him led them to fully partake in the amazing sex that followed.

Whether Alexia would reject such a sexual advance was beyond his reasoning, but he feared that since this was her first time ever kissing someone, this would take her completely by surprise. The first kiss did have a sort of sacred, magical aura to it, and he did not want to ruin the moment for her by catering to his own desires.

By the time they parted, Alexia's face was redder than Damien had ever seen it before. Deep, strawberry coloring, the result of shock and awe rather than embarrassment, covered her face like thick paint. Seeing his girlfriend, shivering and breathing heavily from just a simple kiss, led him to believe that he made the right choice by abstaining from making any sexual advances on her.

"Whoa," he observed, laughing. "You look like I sucked the soul outta you or something."

"Yeah, th...that's what it feels like...i-in a good way, of course..."

She was left so weak, in fact, that she was forced to sit on her white sofa to recover.

Damien came up behind her and massaged his overloaded girlfriend's shoulders for a few minutes and, with his expertise and strong, muscular hands, helped her to feel better.

"I've, uh, been informed that we're having a meeting tomorrow at the compound, to discuss strategy...I guess I'll see you there, Lex."

"Okay...Bye, Damien."

The two embraced in another hug before Damien left the apartment and his girlfriend's presence.

Alexia, meanwhile, remained staring up at her ceiling, stunned by what had just occurred. She had just done something that her mother had told her she could never do - garner a kiss from a nice gentleman. The amount of emotion in the kiss had left her exceedingly tired and slumped over on her luxurious couch.

Yet, she still smiled at the fact that she, an outcast whom most people considered undateable, had finally received her first kiss. She had always thought that the moment would be uncomfortable and slightly forced; the last person she had dated was a frail autistic boy in 6th grade, but he had had neither the nerve nor the cognitive skills to kiss her on the lips. But now, at age 20, she felt she had finally found someone with whom romantic business and the like seemed natural and gratifying to both parties.

Her muscles refused to move enough to change into pajamas and crawl into bed, so Alexia simply lay on the couch in her street clothes and dozed peacefully off to sleep.


	14. Snipers and Silhouettes

**Salutations, my dudes. Sorry for the extra-long wait for this chapter, but I have had a ton going on in the past month, all of which have left me with very little** **time to write and enjoy myself in general. But, fear not, for I have returned to this humble site to continue this contrived and long-winded piece of work that I still thoroughly enjoy working on.**

 **In this installation of Alexia's life, much is set to befall her and her friends. A new character is introduced, and Alexia learns much of her future within the Black Skulls. The brightness of it, however, depends on if she can survive a daring raid on the Rose hideout that is sure to test the capabilities of the crew after the horrifying massacre at Bahama Mamas.**

 **Also, make sure to fav/follow/review if you like the story, because if you do, I will - no scam and no joke at all - be giving you your very own Lamborghini. That's right, as soon as you favorite this story, a Lamborghini will be parked right outside your house. This is not a scam at all, I am a man of my word. In fact, I'm upping that offer to 6,000 Lamborghinis. Yes you read that right, 6,000 top-notch Lamborghinis right outside your house, just for clicking a button on your computer screen.**

 **But Leafy references aside, I really do appreciate all that have followed/favorited, and I think you are all totally groovy. And I thank you from the bottom of my angst-ridden teenage heart. Thanks, guys.**

* * *

Inside the room where the Black Skulls were to have their meeting, the air was abuzz with excited chatter. The large space that Alexia entered into had formerly been known as Eclipse Towers' conference room. This room had previously served important events and functions for bigwig office executives, but now served the same function for meetings within this shady criminal organization. A few Skulls cheerily greeted Alexia as she passed, as most Skulls had heard by now of her heroism at Bahama Mamas the previous night. She waved and smiled at them, but hoped most of all to find Jess, who had texted her earlier in the morning informing her that she wished to meet up with her.

Finally, she spotted her tall, beautiful friend conversing and laughing with a group of male Skulls that had gathered around her. The bouncing socialite, whilst easily handling all these conversations at once, greeted Alexia with a bright smile and a flashing peace sign, which she gladly returned.

Several of the Skulls heartily greeted Alexia, but the circle dispersed soon after her entry, leaving the two friends alone to talk.

"So, uh, the guys were telling me some stuff about this meeting!" Jess shouted over the crowd of voices.

"Oh, really?!"

"Yeah! Rumor has it that the boss has brought in someone! Someone good, to help us with this whole strategy thing!"

"Do you know who it is?!"

"No...but rumor also has it that this guy is one of the boss's favorites! He's supposed to be really experienced! I-I think we'll be in good hands, Lexi!"

"Yeah, I knew he'd pick someone good!" Alexia commended her uncle's decision. "We're kind of in a lot of shit right now! We need all the help we can get!"

"Sorry, what was that?!"

Jess held her ear closer, as she had a hard time making out Alexia's soft voice from all the chatter around them.

"Uh, I was just saying we need all the help we can get!"

"You went to Hell for a pogo stick?!" Jess yelled, confused by such a statement.

"What? No! I said that-"

"She said that we need all the help we can get. Which is very true."

Damien came up behind the two women. He struggled to squeeze his way through the crowd and make his way over beside Alexia.

"Yo, waddup, D?!" Jess greeted him with a smile. "How'd, uh, last night go, for you and Lexi?"

"It went well. I, uh, felt that we really connected. Shared a few laughs. Y'know."

Damien wrapped his arm around Alexia and held her close to him. She returned this affectionate gesture, which signified to Jess that the two were now official.

Jess was forced to pause for a few moments to absorb cuteness radiation of this level. She was immensely happy for her introverted friend, and she hoped that having a boyfriend would help to exponentially boost her confidence level. She could not particularly say that she was overly jealous of seeing another girl under the arm of her ex-boyfriend. Jess and Damien had settled their differences about a year ago and decided to remain good friends, so any feelings of resentment toward Alexia would be completely unfounded in this situation.

"Yeah, I had a blast," Alexia corroborated. "We drove to this incredible spot in the mountains, overlooking the ocean. It was pretty cool."

"Ah, yes. Very romantic..." Jess nodded in approval. "I'm glad you two had fun...Hey Damien, you remember our first date? You took me to that seafood place on Del Perro Pier?"

"Yeah, I do remember that...Didn't you get severe food poisoning from that place?"

"It was so bad, remember? The whole time, I was blowing chunks into the ocean...And on the ride home...It was a really great time, though, despite all that."

Jess smiled at this fond memory, even though Damien found it quite strange that she chose to bring up their past courtship in the presence of the new couple.

Spontaneously, the formerly-boisterous crowd was hit with a tidal wave of silence, ushered in by the entrance of a new entity onto the slightly-raised stage at the far end of the room.

The assembled mass of gangsters and criminals were brought to shocked stares as they saw none other than their leader walk onstage. Remus Knight, who was often so reclusive that he dared not leave the darkness of his office, now appeared to them under luminescent lights. For some of the newer members, this was their first time even seeing their leader, the man who had led this crew's rise to power over a decade of ruthless expansion.

Alexia noticed that her uncle, whose pale and ghastly image she was still adjusting to, looked vastly different when cast under bright stage lights. His paleness and wrinkles were far more apparent in this lighting, which again reminded her that he had aged considerably in the 10 years since they had last interacted. The tip of his jet-black fedora cast a dark shadow across his eyes, which combined with his straightened black suit and gigantic height to give him quite a menacing stage presence.

"Everyone..." he spoke into the microphone. "We have quite a lot to cover, so let's get right to it...Through the use of advanced interrogation and the help of many of you here this morning in gathering intel, I believe that we have accrued enough information to launch our counterattack against the Roses. As you all know...not since the early years of this crew's existence have we ever had to combat another criminal entity directly, so to help in planning this...I have brought in an outside source. She has been an invaluable friend to the Skulls over the years, and has helped coordinate our trafficking operations in Europe and Asia. She has invaluable experience in the art of battle through her service in the Russian special forces, as well as other private organizations. It is my honor to welcome to the stage Ms. Elena Volkov."

A serenade of clapping welcomed the honored guest of the night onstage. Remus briefly shook her hand in a businesslike gesture before making a quick egress into the backstage area.

Ms. Elena Volkov was a taller woman, a facet which was emphasized by her straight military-style posture as she faced the audience of Skulls. Equally straight was her head of ash brown hair that just barely touched her shoulders. She wore an ensemble of all-black clothing that entailed a leather jacket, with matching black leather pants and high-heeled boots.

One thing Alexia noticed about this woman was her exceedingly serious demeanor onstage; with a slanted frown and downcast eyes, she patiently waited for the audience to die down so that she could begin to speak. The whole time, Jess clapped enthusiastically for her, mainly because the fact that the male guest she had been expecting was indeed a female brought her great joy.

Finally, when Elena had had enough, she simply raised her right palm. Instantaneously, this ushered in an abrupt silence in the room. As soon as the last echoes of ruckus echoed off of the walls, the woman began to speak to her assembled audience.

"My gratitude goes to Remus Knight for flying me out here, in this time of great crisis for this organization. As soon as I had heard of what happened, I boarded a 20-hour flight from Kazakhstan and came here to assist in the situation."

The woman onstage suddenly felt an incoming yawn, most likely the result of such a grueling passenger flight halfway across the world. Nonetheless, she quickly stifled this with her sleeve so that the Skulls would not think of her as undignified.

The audience continued to be heavily invested in this woman, whose thick Russian accent caused her to roll her R's and put heavy emphasis on her L's.

"Anyway...I know that you all were heavily angered by the merciless killing of your friends and crew mates two nights ago. They were brothers, a few sisters as well, that will greatly be missed...Working for numerous special forces and global spying operations over the years, I too have lost people that were quite dear to me. I have been with the Black Skulls only two years, coordinating our new trafficking operations in Europe and Asia. When I was betrayed by my former organization and forced into hiding, Remus Knight, and all of you as well, unselfishly took me in and treated me as one of your cherished comrades...So in gratitude, I swear to you all, today...that I shall organize an attack that shall help us avenge every single Black Skull that perished at the nightclub."

Raucous applause from the audience followed Elena's solemn vow. She continued her straight posture and equally-straight frown as she waited for the Skulls to again calm down. Now that she had proven that she was serious about helping, she could now move onto her plan of retaliation against the Roses of Death.

"Remus mentioned to you earlier that we had acquired information on the Rose crew, mostly through interrogation of a captured informant that we have kept in captivity since the successful raid on their La Puerta warehouse two weeks ago. The information we have obtained from him is quite extensive, yet...is short of what we need to completely decimate the Roses and their supply of artillery, which, we have learned, is quite massive. However, for now...we have found out where they are harboring the fake Skull...the mole, who is responsible for the slaughter. Allow me to show you..."

Elena grabbed a remote control from the podium and brought up a satellite image of an isolated house in the countryside to appear on a projection screen behind her.

" _This_ is where he resides, in this house on Cape Catfish next to the El Gordo Lighthouse. Here, he is to wait for a boat that will take him east across the ocean, most likely to Mexico or Central America. Obviously, we must stop this from happening. And we must do it by...tonight."

A bit of mumbling ensued from the ensemble of Skulls, who were obviously quite wary of going forward with an attack on such short notice.

"Yes, the Roses are moving very quickly to get this man out of the country, but we cannot allow that to happen. We will use the emergency arsenal of weapons and vehicles that we have stored in our garage, plus any vehicles that you have bought from private suppliers. If at all possible, we must bring him back to this compound _alive_ so that he can divulge all the information he knows...We do not believe the Roses will be expecting us to mobilize such an assault so soon after being hit, so that should aid us immensely. The...obvious downside is that we will not have the opportunity to practice and perfect our techniques...However, I have put together a plan that is both simple and efficient."

She went to the next slide, which showed the previous satellite image of the seaside residence, but with numerous red markings scribbled all over it.

"The house is surrounded on three sides by the San Chianski Mountain Range, so we can position a few snipers along these peaks. They will be clearing a path for the ground team, who will infiltrate the house by way of this pier, then extract our target."

Alexia turned hastily over to her boyfriend, whispering in his ear.

 _"Um...is that you?"_

 _"Yeah. But I'm always doin' special ops stuff like this in missions, it's no big deal."_

She nodded understandingly, yet still could not help but grow worried. The job Damien was assigned to would be quite dangerous, as he would be responsible for taking on the multiple Roses that must be guarding the house and this traitor. She knew that he was quite experienced with jobs like this, but after seeing him in such great pain from his bullet wound 2 nights ago, Alexia was sorely afraid of any physical harm that might befall him.

"Now, with that being said, the place will be extremely well-guarded," Elena continued. "Since this man has much highly-sensitive information on the Skulls, they are not letting him go without a fight. Through aerial surveillance conducted yesterday, we know that there are guards stationed on the lighthouse, as well as on the pier and the walkway that goes around the front. Even more are patrolling the fenced perimeter and guarding the inside. Needless to say...There is no way that this job can be performed quietly all the way through. The best we can hope for is for the extraction force to arrive without resistance. Then, on their signal, two things will happen: Another sect of heavy armored vehicles will move out and block the only dirt road that leads to the house. Also, our air division will head out to sea and intercept the boat that will be on its way to take this mole out of the country."

 _"Ooh, that's my job,"_ Jess whispered happily. _"I'll probably get to fly the Hydra, I love takin' that thing out."_

While Jess smiled with glee upon learning of her objectives in the raid, Alexia was still confused as to what part she would play in assisting with this operation. Even as the lowest rank possible in the Skulls, she wanted desperately to help in any way that she could, thus furthering her already-excellent reputation within the crew and playing an active role them in securing superiority over the Roses.

"If everything goes to plan, the traitor will be in our possession. Also, the Roses will lose much of their forces, including their $6 million turreted yacht and helicopter carrier that we plan on sinking. But most importantly...We will be one step closer to avenging our fallen comrades. There will be many battles ahead, my friends...But as God is my witness, I will not abandon this crew. The Roses of Death are but weaklings compared to the Black Skulls, so we are more than capable of decimating them and reclaiming our rightful place as the most powerful criminal organization on the entire Pacific Coast!"

Every Skull in the audience clapped and hollered as Elena finished with the presentation of her plans. The feeling of trust in this woman, who had more than demonstrated her capability in the situation they were facing, was felt in every corner of the former luxury apartment building's conference room, along with a newfound sense that they could in fact beat the Roses and retain their position at the top of Los Santos's criminal hierarchy. This was in stark contrast to the overall mood of the Skulls two nights ago, immediately after 145 of their brothers and sisters had been mowed down by miniguns and heavy automatic weapons.

Elena Volkov stepped gracefully off the stage and into another area of the room, disappearing from Alexia's view.

"Oh my God, she is SO AWESOME!" Jess exclaimed. "What do you say we go over and introduce ourselves?"

"Umm, I dunno, Jess. She probably has a lot to-"

Before Alexia could fully object, Jess had grabbed hold of her sleeve and was dragging her playfully through the calming crowd of Skulls.

"It won't take but a minute, Lexi. Besides, if she knows your name and skill set, she might give you a good role to play in the attack. I'll back you up, since I know what an effing good shooter you are."

Alexia looked back in Damien's direction, but she could see him talking with another group of Skulls, probably unaware that she had even left.

Thinking back over Ms. Elena Volkov's speech and how serious she sounded, the prospect of meeting her face-to-face caused Alexia considerable anxiety. Since this woman was such a serious professional, she would probably become annoyed upon meeting such an awkward individual such as herself. She did not wish to give off such a bad first impression to this woman, who would be helping to coordinate virtually all of the Skulls' movements and strategies during the war.

Nonetheless, Jess continued gliding Alexia through the crowd until they came across Elena, talking to a couple of Skulls that had come to her with questions.

"Getting this done quickly is the priority," she explained to them. "The remote location should minimize resistance from government agencies and local law enforcement...You two can be in charge of cutting power to the house. There is an electric box in the hills north of the residence, a couple of explosive charges should be sufficient to take it out."

The two Skulls high-fived each other and departed from her.

"Ooh, there she is! MS. ELENA!" Jess shouted.

She looked up, which gave Jess permission to skip up to her and shake her hand.

"Jessamine Hendrix, newly-instated air captain-slash-crew lieutenant. Really nice to meet you."

Elena nodded wordlessly in return, the dark and serious woman looking slightly uncomfortable in the jubilant blonde girl's presence. She stood only a couple of inches shorter than Jess, who continued to shake her hand vigorously for an extended period of time.

"Um...I really liked your plan, by the way. Especially the part where the air squadron goes out to sea and intercepts the boat. That should really deal some damage."

"Yes...It will also minimize damage done to us, since the boat is outfitted with gun turrets and can carry attack helicopters...We plan on using the Hydra for that mission, and that will be flanked by two more of our decommissioned military jets. Since you are Air Captain, I'm assuming I can trust you to head this mission."

"Oh, hell yeah, girl! You can trust me, I have lots of experience with the Hydra. In fact, just a few weeks ago, I-"

"Yes, good to know," Elena abruptly cut her off.

She then pulled out her phone to respond to a message she had received during her presentation.

"Just so you know, in addition to sinking their ship...your squad will also be responsible for providing covering fire for the ground sector, should they become overwhelmed by the Rose forces."

Jess nodded understandingly at her wishes. She looked over her shoulder at Alexia, who had yet to make herself known.

"Yeah, I can do that as well...Hey, would you mind if I introduced you to someone?"

"I suppose not..."

Even though Alexia had since grown rigid with anxiety, Jess took her forcefully by the shoulders and placed her in front of Elena.

"This is my best friend, Alexia. She's, uh, kind of a newer member, but I think she'd be really useful to the mission as well. She's got some serious talent."

The image that Alexia projected, however, did not resemble confidence or significant talent. In the presence of the powerful Ms. Elena, she tried her hardest to smile and appear somewhat welcoming, but her anxiety instead forced her eyes toward her feet and her hands behind her back. Her cheeks had once again turned red with embarrassment, as she perceived Elena's gaze in her direction as no less than derisive and contemptuous in nature. What semblance of a smile that ushered from her lips was crooked and far too uncomfortable to be considered warm and sociable.

Elena became very confused by the notion that such a short, scrawny, and overwhelmingly awkward girl could possibly be helpful in this endeavor. From the way she presented herself, she did not appear useful to her in the slightest.

Before she could dismiss the girl as a waste of her time, Jessamine sighed and took Elena by the shoulders, leading her a few feet away.

"Look...I know that she might not look that impressive, but...she can handle a gun, alright? I saw it two nights ago, when we were escaping from the nightclub. It's...kinda unnatural how much talent she has. She's only been in the crew for a few days now, but that night, you could mistake her for a veteran Skull...She probably killed the most Roses out of any of us survivors."

Elena looked back towards the girl, who remained encased in a shell of anxiety and awkwardness. Alexia knew that she had given off the wrong impression entirely and that her acute nervousness around people had gotten the best of her. She also knew that she was an insignificant weakling compared to the powerful woman heading the Black Skulls' revenge campaign, so she reasoned she had no chance of being able to talk comfortably with her.

"So...Both of you are survivors of the massacre?"

Directing her gaze upwards from the floor, she saw Elena towering over her, arms crossed and waiting patiently for a response.

Alexia looked back down for a moment before gaining the nerve to speak.

"Y...Uh, y-yes, ma'am. We both are."

"Do not address me as your superior."

Elena reprimanded Alexia, glaring down at her.

"We are all in this together, yes? As brothers and sisters in this organization. So address me accordingly, Alexia."

"Yeah, um...yes, Elena."

Alexia struggled to keep her eyes focused on Elena, whose domineering presence continued to exacerbate her anxiety. Unlike Jess, who always exhibited a fun-loving and welcoming personality despite her tall stature, the crushingly serious demeanor of the woman in all black was enough to intimidate Alexia greatly and exacerbate her already-anxious mindset.

"You know..." Elena continued. "While I was on the plane, I did hear all this chatter about a certain girl, a new addition, whose skill with a weapon was almost unmatched within the Skulls. According to your friend's description, that must certainly be you...Two of our best snipers died in the massacre, so we could definitely make use of your skills in tonight's raid."

Jess gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, which managed to irk a timid smile out of Alexia.

"However, in order to consider you for the job, I would have to see this skill for myself...So if you are indeed serious, then come with me to the roof, Alexia. I wish to see your proficiency firsthand."

Elena began to move away from the conference room and out towards the apartment complex's lobby, with Alexia following her.

"Ooh, can I go too?" Jess asked her.

"I...would rather you didn't," said Elena with a hint of annoyance.

"Aww, c'mon! I'll be quiet, I just wanna observe."

She grimaced slightly before ushering the over-excited woman to come along with them. Jess fist-pumped with joy before following the two across the lobby and into the elevator.

The ride up to the roof was uncomfortably silent, with the three women aboard the elevator trying to focus on something other than the quiet. Alexia continued to act nervously in Elena's presence, looking down at her toes so that she did not have to meet her gaze.

Jess cleared her throat before deciding to break the ice.

"So, Elena...do you know Nico Bellic?"

"No. Not everyone with an accent like mine knows him, and it is incredibly racist to think so."

"No, no, it's not that, just..."

Jess rubbed the back of her neck nervously, as she could feel Elena's angry stare directed toward her.

"I-it's just that you're in the same line of work, I thought you would've met up or something."

"We did not even work in the same country. He is Yugoslav, and I am Russian."

"Yeah, I know. I just-"

"I would stop talking if I were you."

Jess complied with Elena's orders, looking shamefully down at a corner of the elevator.

Elena, meanwhile, began to grow a certain appreciation for how quiet Alexia was. Throughout the elevator ride, she stood looking down at the floor, most likely listening to her and Jess's awkward conversation, but not wanting to take an active role in it. Whether she was truly the deadeye she had heard of was still up in the air, but she could not help but notice how observant and non-vocal she was, compared to her friend who seemed not to even think before she spoke.

At last, the elevator ascended to the 27th floor, the space that housed Remus Knight's executive penthouse. However, instead of navigating the dark freezing corridors to his office, Elena instead took an alternate hallway that led to a set of stairs, at the top of which was a door that granted them access to the roof. Elena swiped her access card, which allowed her to push open the door and step onto the roof of the Black Skull compound.

A maze of rusted air conditioning units sat atop the building, which the three had to navigate across to reach the far side of the roof. Stray wires and A/C vents were of no great concern to the two taller women, but Alexia's shorter legs experienced much more difficulty in traversing these obstacles. Twice, she nearly tripped over bulky rectangular vents, but Jess was there to grab her hand and stop her from falling, which most likely would have caused her even more embarrassment in front of Elena.

The space was quite hot, a result of a complete lack of shade and the oppressive Los Santos sun rays ricocheting off of bleached concrete and metal surfaces. Jess and Alexia were perspiring before they even reached their destination, but the black leather-clad Elena showed no obvious signs of physical duress as she guided the women across, coming to a stop at the south-facing edge of the skyscraper.

Jess sat down on an air conditioning unit and pulled out a box of delicious P's & Q's, which she planned on eating while she watched her friend.

Alexia remained standing, looking out from the edge of the building towards the landscape portrait of the city spread out in front of her. The Black Skull compound was one of the shorter buildings in the area, yet its position atop a hill in the northern part of the city afforded it an expansive view of the cityscape, which at times was quite useful in planning attacks and raids on enemy gangs.

"Now, Alexia..." Elena finally spoke again. She had since pulled out a strange rectangular box from underneath an A/C unit, which she sat down next to the ledge.

"In order to consider you for this job, I am going to have to see that you possess a copious amount of skill with firearms. We will gauge your ability with this rifle."

Elena opened the box, revealing the various disassembled pieces of a military-grade sniper rifle, the same model that Alexia had eyed at Ammu-Nation the previous day. The rifle's parts were scattered about the box, encased in velvet crevices and divots inside the box, the Sun glinting off of carbon-black metal.

Alexia, upon seeing the spread laid out before her, could only look down in wonder at the thoroughly modern weapon at her feet. She had always dreamed of owning a weapon like this; during her days of game hunting in South Yankton, such a powerful, long-range rifle would have greatly improved her cache, compared to the inferior 20-year-old gun that she had inherited from her father and used to hunt game.

She observed the gun for a few more moments before she noticed Elena looking curiously down at her. She met her gaze, which carried a hint of curiosity as to what the girl was waiting for.

"...Go on," Elena directed.

Realizing that she was waiting on her to assemble the rifle, Alexia nodded and bent down next to the box.

Within a few minutes, she had successfully put the rifle together, using only the knowledge that she had of this model through Internet articles and books that she had read. She also happened to know that this particular rifle, the Arctic Warfare Super Magnum, was one of the best of its class, popular among soldiers in the UK and other European countries. Once again, Alexia had never fired this particular weapon before, and she had had only limited experience shooting long-distance targets with her shoddy hunting rifle. She hoped that this weapon, with its sleek design and immense firing capabilities, would not cause her to lose the opportunity to show off her skills to Elena.

The Russian woman signaled her over to the building's southern ledge. Once in a crouching position, Alexia peered into the rifle's scope, where a green circle, adorned with crosshairs and a white circle in the middle, were more than willing to assist her in making shots.

"Do you see that gray building across from the brown one, to the southeast of us?"

Alexia skimmed over the various multi-story buildings around the Vinewood area until she came across a desolate weather-worn complex that closely matched Elena's description.

"...Yeah, I see it."

"The building is abandoned. It used to be the headquarters of a rival organization, until we firebombed it a few years ago. Now, we occasionally use it for target practice for our snipers."

Elena grabbed a pair of binoculars from underneath her jet-black coat and used them to look at the building in question.

"Tell me, Alexia, have you much...experience with long-range shooting?"

"A little, yeah..." said Alexia with a slightly more confident tone of voice. "I shot game back at my home in South Yankton. I once made a kill with an old Winchester rifle from around...850 yards or so?"

"Well, the building you're aiming at is about 1,300 yards away, which is below the weapon's effective range of around 1,600."

"Oh..."

She tried not to let this intimidate her, yet she could not help but grow nervous once again. The shot she had made had been under perfect conditions, yet the lucky shot had only resulted in the death of a tiny prairie bird. This time around, however, a tropical wind blowing from the east would mean that she would have to adjust for the huge difference between her and the target.

"Alexia, all you need to do is show me what you can do with that rifle. And, um, don't hit any other buildings or people while you're at it, we do not need that sort of attention."

She nodded before adjusting the scope of the rifle and preparing to fire.

Before she could do so, however, Alexia knew that she had to enter a space that she called 'The Zone'. This was her term for a mental state of mind in which she was outstandingly focused on what she was shooting at. Whether it be a deer, a prairie dog, or a 5-story building in Downtown Vinewood, Alexia needed to be in The Zone in order to shoot well.

She began to take slow, steady breaths, focusing on the rhythm of her breathing. This helped to expedite her entry into The Zone, as such an exercise worked like a sort of improvised meditation in increasing her mental focus. All was quiet around her, save for the usual city noise as well as a mysterious crunching that seemed to be coming from directly behind her.

Confused by this strange sound, Alexia looked behind her, only to find Jess happily munching on her P's & Q's. As the molten chocolate shell of each individual candy was crushed by her teeth, a grinding, cracking noise resulted, which made for quite the distraction in the otherwise-still environment on top of the Black Skull compound.

Elena and Alexia both looked at Jess for a while before she realized that she was becoming a distraction. The normally-loud and boisterous girl's face turned red with embarrassment, and she began to chew the candies much more slowly.

Eventually, Jess put the box away and started to drink a Sprunk instead. She made sure to sip the soda quietly, her eyes downcast in shame.

Alexia returned to focusing on the building and regaining the concentration that she had momentarily lost. She took aim once again, this time taking notice of a particular feature on this building: a window that had not yet been shot out. She could tell this because of the way the Sun flashed off of its unwashed surface, creating a sort of spectral white light in the middle of the building.

She aimed slightly to the left of the target, using the mil dots on her scope to adjust for distance, before firing. Due to the gun's suppressed muzzle, the accompanying loud crack that she was used to was strangely absent, which threw Alexia off significantly and caused her to miss her target by about 20 feet. The bullet crashed into the face of the concrete building, kicking up brickdust as it impacted the surface like a supercharged meteorite.

 _"Ah, fuck,"_ Alexia muttered upon seeing the bullet strike. Nonetheless, she lined up her sights for a second shot.

Elena looked down briefly at the girl before returning her eyes to the binoculars.

"You're aiming for the window, aren't you?"

"Uh...yeah. How'd you know?" asked Alexia in amazement, as her shot had landed nowhere near the window in question.

"It's where I would be shooting at as well...There is probably another crosswind down further that's carrying the bullet. I would compensate for that slightly more."

Alexia complied, adjusting her aim even farther left. The fact that Elena did not hold a missed first shot against her was relieving, yet she still had to prove that she was indeed capable of helping with the Black Skull raid.

She took another shot, yet her aim was still off by a few feet. Her bullet ended up cracking the sill of another window, a floor down from the one she was aiming at.

After cursing herself once more, she took yet another shot at the stationary target.

Alexia could feel the mounting anxiety building up in her gut, yet she knew that it was imperative to remain calm and focused. If she missed for a third time, then her credibility as an excellent sharpshooter would be all but lost, and there would be no possibility that Elena would consider her for a role in tonight's mission.

Slow, deep breaths escaped from her lips as she again focused on the dirty window. She knew that to hit such a long-range target, it would require the utmost level of mental concentration on her part.

As Alexia entered an advanced form of nirvana exclusive to her longtime favorite hobby, time itself seemed to slow to a crawl. Within the vast depths of Alexia's conscience, the only discernible objects were her and the target, separated only by a vast expanse of black. For a brief moment in time, nothing else existed in the universe, and nothing else separated Alexia from her goal of hitting this window.

She exhaled, simultaneously pressing the trigger and letting the bullet fly through the air.

Because the distance between was so great, it took approximately 2 seconds for Alexia's bullet to sail through the air and smash the window into pieces. This caused the spectral orb of sunlight to disappear completely, and instead scatter into tiny dots reflected through broken shards of glass instead of an intact glass pane.

Elena nodded when she too saw that Alexia had hit her mark, though this accomplishment was still quite short of being impressive to her.

"Alright then...Anything else you want to show me?"

Alexia scanned the building with her scope, looking for anything else that might be worthy of hitting. She came across a rusted satellite dish, still mounted on its post on the neglected building's roof, its antenna pointed diagonally upward and into space.

She focused on this object for a moment or two before taking a shot, which successfully brought down the rusted relic of the building's past. Elena saw this as well, nodding once again with her signature slanted frown.

Then, aiming to continue on her streak of successful shots and hopefully impressing Elena, Alexia aimed a few feet upwards from the building, where a particular target managed to catch her eye.

"...You see that flock of birds flying overhead?" she asked Elena.

"Yes. A group of migratory gulls, it looks like."

"Yeah. I figure, with a gun this powerful, I could at least hit a couple of 'em."

"A couple?"

She nodded in confirmation before reloading once again. Alexia smiled, as she knew that hitting this moving target would be more likely to make an impression on the Russian woman beside her.

Taking account for the wind as well as where the formation of birds would be when she squeezed the trigger, Alexia again let a bullet fly through the air.

The heavy .338 round successfully hit a gull near the end of the formation, then passed clean through it to hit the two birds flying next to it as well. The lifeless bodies of these unfortunate gulls spiraled down to Earth like downed fighter jets, and the rest of the group scattered to avoid a similar fate.

"Wowie-wow, a _three_ -for-one?!" Jess exclaimed, dropping her soda in the process. "That's amazing, Lexi!"

"Yeah..." Alexia agreed, smiling. "I kinda charred off all the usable meat, though."

It was only at this point did Alexia exit the Zone and emerge from her crouching position.

"So, uh, what do you think?" she said to Elena.

"Hmm, yes...I must admit, you impress me, Alexia. Especially more so considering you are such a low rank. Normally, I would not even consider anyone below a Crew Representative for this type of job. But...since we are so hurried to carry this out and we are short a good fraction of our former manpower, and you seem to demonstrate superior skill with this weapon...you will meet back here at the compound at exactly 1500 hours, at which point we will all head out to our assigned positions. I will assign you to the peak south of the targeted house with your spotter. They will have a pair of binoculars, similar to mine, that will help you place your shots."

"Sounds good. I'll, uh, see you then I guess."

"No, actually you won't. I will be running the operation from a secure area within the compound, relaying radio messages."

Elena reached into her pocket and pulled out a Redwood cigarette, which she subsequently lit. Wisps of gray smoke escaped between her lips, and her shoulders visibly relaxed as nicotine's soothing effects took hold.

The serious Russian woman with military-straight posture leaned casually by the ledge that Alexia had been shooting off of, inhaling cigarette fumes as she stared out at the Los Santos skyline.

"...You two should head out and prepare for your roles..." she said in a much more relaxed tone of voice. "Alexia, since you are now accustomed with that rifle, you may use it to execute your duties tonight. And if you do well, I might even allow you to keep it for your own...personal use. It's an old gun, I was planning on getting rid of it anyway."

Alexia grinned widely at this prospect, being the avid weapons enthusiast that she was. Especially now that she was a professional criminal, a donation of such a priceless piece of long-range hardware would greatly aid her in her various exploits in this new city.

"I won't let you down...Come on, Jess."

She disassembled the sniper rifle and tucked the pieces delicately back into the box, then walked away with Jess to the door that led back inside. Elena chose to stay behind, most likely to clear her head before she was to coordinate this daring raid on the Roses.

The bone-chilling cold of Remus Knight's penthouse, which before had served to terrify both women, now gave them blissful reprieve from the broiling hot day outside. Jess led the way into the elevator down to the ground floor, with Alexia and her rifle following close by.

"Ohh, Lexi, I am so proud of you!" Jess squealed with glee, hugging her friend tightly. "I knew you could do it! Like, seriously, that was some damn fine shooting, girl."

"Thanks, Jess...Man, I don't wanna jinx it or anything, but...things really do seem to be looking up for me in my life. Like, I get assigned to this job, and last night I...I got to kiss Damien."

"Aww. Was it your first?"

Alexia nodded proudly.

"Oh, man. Lexi, you have so much potential, I believe the best things in life are still to come for you, girlfriend. Just, uh...just try not to forget about your old pal Jessamine in your rise to the top."

"Of course I won't, Jess...When I become crew leader, I'm gonna be sure to give you a really good position as one of my commissioners."

Jess gasped.

"No way! Y-you'd do that, for me?!"

"Well, of course," Alexia laughed. "You deserve it, for your unselfish desire to help a new Black Skull."

The elevator stopped at the ground floor, and the two girls stepped off back into the compound's main lobby.

As they headed back outside and toward their vehicles, they were approached by a Black Skull guard, a member of Remus Knight's personal security detail. Unlike the humongous man that escorted them two nights ago, this guard possessed more of a normal build and a head of curly dark hair.

"Hey, Alexia," he casually greeted her. "Sorry to bother you, but the boss needs to see you for a minute. He says it's urgent business."

"You go on ahead, Lexi," said Jess, wrapping an arm around her friend. "I gotta go get my squadron ready, make sure the Hydra's still working. I'll see you tonight, okay?"

"Alright...Bye, Jess."

The two embraced warmly before parting.

Alexia followed the Black Skull guard down a lesser-used hallway of the Black Skull compound. This area on the ground floor was exceedingly dark, lit only by buzzing fluorescent lights above that revealed a dirty tile floor, strewn with all manner of accumulated dirt and dust.

"Hey, Alexia..." the guard spoke to alleviate the creepiness of the area. "Do you mind if I...ask you something real quick?"

"No, I guess not...What is it?"

"Well, it's just, um..."

The guard had to pause for a minute to conjugate what he was about to tell Alexia. The woman he was escorting, however, looked up at him inquisitively, waiting for such a question as would cause him to become so nervous.

"Forgive me for asking this, but...what's the deal, like, with you and Jess? I saw you hugging back there, and at the party, you just...you seem really, really close, if you catch my drift."

"Yeah, but that's just it. We get along really well, and we're good friends. There's nothing...intimate going on between us. I don't even get down that way, and I don't think she does either."

"Oh, okay...Not to pry or anything, just me and a few others were kinda curious. Especially after...well, we found this picture of you two on LifeInvader. It just really raised some questions."

Growing ever more curious as to what he was getting at, Alexia craned her head so that she could see the guard's phone screen, which showcased his colorful LifeInvader wall. Among some pictures of him and his friends, one in particular stood out to the girl and terrified her to the core.

On the man's screen was a picture of her and Jess, their lips connected in what appeared as a passionate drunken act. Alexia's eyes appeared wide open with shock in the candid picture as Jess leaned in and gave her a surprisingly-firm kiss on the lips. The backdrop of this scene was clearly the nightclub shortly before its destruction, with lights flashing and numerous male Skulls high-fiving behind them.

"Wha...? Uhh, I don't even remember that! I-it must be photoshopped, we never did tha..."

After scanning some more through her memory, however, Alexia came to realize that she did remember this particular incident. It had largely been overshadowed by the far more significant occurrence of that night and the haze of intoxication that clouded her conscious memory, but she did happen to recall that the picture was not doctored in any way. At the urging of the crowd around them, they had indeed kissed for a good 2 or 3 seconds, even though Jess did not engage with her tongue, instead simply puckering her lips and touching them with hers.

Despite Alexia's horror at witnessing the picture, the guard simply gave a good-spirited laugh at her reaction.

"Don't sweat it, Alexia, we all do things we're not proud of when we're wasted. Besides, no one really paid it much attention because of the, uh...the other thing that happened that night. Some people saw it, they just...considering the context of where and when it was taken, it doesn't quite have the same effect. I don't think anyone's gonna try and blackmail you or anything."

The guard then tapped an icon immediately next to the picture, which caused it to be deleted entirely from his LifeInvader profile.

This mostly-symbolic gesture of friendship by the Black Skull guard did little to comfort Alexia; she knew how difficult it was to eradicate embarrassing moments from the Internet, even though she did not often dabble in such fields. While other young adults regularly posted fun moments and events with their friends online, she did not have a LifeInvader or Bleeter account, only communicating with her few close acquaintances through text and e-mail. Being a person with so few friends, she had never seen the need to create an account to showcase her awkward loneliness to the entire World Wide Web.

"Hey, uh, the boss wants you to meet in here, Alexia."

She looked up from the tile floor she had been staring down at. There, at the very end of the barely-lighted hallway, stood the simple wooden entrance to a janitor's closet, most likely abandoned ever since the building had come under new ownership.

Despite the strange setting, the Black Skull pointed at the door to reassure Alexia that they had indeed walked to the right place.

"Uh...In there?" she asked.

The guard simply shrugged.

"That's what he told me. And, uh...I don't tend to question the boss's motives. He really scares me."

Despite her confusion at such a choice of venue, she did not wish to land the guard in trouble with her uncle. With him holding the door open, she stepped inside and was enveloped by the dark, musty atmosphere of the long-abandoned broom closet.

Ambling around the pitch-black atmosphere for a few moments after the guard had closed the door, Alexia's vision was soon aided by the pulling of a lightswitch. Its musty yellow light illuminated the room around them and revealed the humongously tall figure standing in the middle of the closet, leaning against a shelf.

Uncle Remus's signature black fedora cast a menacing shadow across his eyes, which coupled with his all-black suit and gaunt appearance was enough to make anyone unfortunate enough to have landed in captivity quake in fear. Alexia, however, was immensely relieved to see her uncle standing in the closet, his hat rubbing against the ceiling of the tiny room. She had grown up with him as a constant presence, so this figure that came across as scary and unsettling to others was a rather welcoming sight to her.

"...Hey, Uncle," she greeted him with a smile.

"Alexia."

He half-smiled through his pale thin lips, then straightened himself up from the shelf he had been supporting himself on.

"Uhm...I know it might seem strange that we have to meet in here, but...with everything that's going on, it's the only place people aren't listening. My office has become slightly more visited ever since the incident, so it's best if we went somewhere more private."

"Oh, okay. I understand."

She propped her elbow up on a nearby cleaning shelf, but she immediately felt something brush up against her arm as she did so.

Looking to see what it was her elbow had disturbed, two black holes for eyes looked back up at her, and an enthusiastic skeletal smile greeted her terrified expression. She had indeed came across a human skull in the closet, slightly brown due to age yet almost completely intact.

Alexia jumped in terror at this discovery, stepping back a few feet in the cramped closet.

"Wh-wh-what's that?!" she cried out.

Remus picked up the skull by its eye sockets, then examined it under the incandescent light, blowing dust mites and cobwebs off of its surface. It had been sitting in the closet for quite a while before its rediscovery by Alexia, and he seemed to remember whom it had belonged to.

"Strange, I thought I threw this out years ago..."

Stumped as to how it had ended up in the closet, Remus shrugged innocently and tossed it into the back of the janitors' closet, amongst a pile of dusty old brooms and God-knows-what-else residing in the long forgotten room.

"Anyway," he continued. "I called you in here because I wanted to give you this."

He handed the item, a simple white security card, to his niece.

"That is a security card that allows you full access to my office upstairs, without the need for an escort. I usually reserve these for friends and my commissioners, people that I trust, so...you know, it goes without saying, but don't lose this."

"I won't," she assured him, tucking the card gingerly into her wallet in a slot reserved for credit cards and other valuable items.

"Um...thanks, Uncle."

"Don't mention it. You need access to my office if I'm ever going to prepare you for being crew leader. If at all possible, make your visits discreet. We need to delay the news that you're my successor for as long as possible, but I know that it cannot remain secret forever...Hopefully, once this skirmish with the Roses is over and done with, I will make an announcement to the crew. Right now, the atmosphere is much too volatile."

Remus sighed, then directed his gaze to the floor, littered with dust bunnies and debris from years of neglect, to think about what else he was going to tell her.

He looked up at his niece. Predictably, she looked considerably different than she did 10 years ago, when he had last gotten a good look at her. The darkness of his office, where she and him had last met, had not allowed him to realize that she was, by all accounts, an adult. The little girl that he had bought gifts for and played with back in South Yankton now stood in front of him as a grown woman with a sound mind and the fragments of good leadership skills, which he hoped to mold together so that she could soundly lead the crew once his time had come.

"Alexia..." he started. "Just know that...You and I are not going to have much time for reminiscing and whatnot, it will be a very business-like relationship, sort of like a teacher and student at times, but...Overall, it won't be like when you were 5 when I pushed you on the swingset and played hide-and-seek with you."

"Yeah, I know that, Uncle R," she reassured him. "I'm 20 now, so I think I can handle more adult interactions. It's no big deal."

"Wow..."

Remus suddenly looked shocked at what Alexia had just told him.

"Surely, you're not...you're not that old already..."

"Yep, I am."

Alexia laughed under her breath, despite her uncle's stunned expression.

She produced her phone out of her pocket and showed it to Remus to hopefully advance his memory.

"Remember? You got me the new iFruit phone for my birthday last year."

"Oh yeah...y-yes, I remember that...I'm sorry, Alexia. It's just the last time we were together like this...well, you only came up to here on me."

Remus pointed to a spot on his leg to demarcate how much Alexia had grown since she was 10 years old. Remus still dwarfed her considerably, as he did most people, but she now easily came up to his waist, as was apparent in the tiny cramped closet they were meeting in.

"We've, uh, been apart for quite some time, yeah..." Alexia agreed. "I really missed you, Uncle. After you left, I didn't have hardly anyone else to play with or talk to, like we used to do."

"Yes, I...I missed you too, Alexia...But I had far too many arrest warrants to stay in South Yankton. After I moved away, though, I discovered that I was really, really good at this whole criminal business. I'm a...ruthless killer, of course, but I also had the ability to gain peoples' respect. And I've used that respect to build up this crew over the years and get it to where it is now. I fully trust that you'll be able to keep it that way once you take over...But while I am still leader, I plan on teaching you everything you'll need to know in preparation for that day."

"Yeah, but that's what still confuses me though..."

Remus abruptly met his niece's eyes, who looked up at him with the inquisitive nature that she had had since childhood. Whenever she was in one of those moods, her emerald eyes seemed to glisten over with a newfound, sparkling intensity, a desire for knowledge about things that not many children her age were interested in, such as events in the news and the origins of his various war medals.

He was glad to see that, over the past decade, nothing much had changed about this aspect of her personality. Alexia began by inhaling deeply, just as she did when she had last seen him over 10 years ago.

"I understand that I'm your niece and...you told me you wanted to preserve the family lineage within the crew's hierarchy, but...Why go to all of this trouble? I mean, surely you have some people within your commissioners and other high-ranking members that are much more qualified than I am. They probably know things about the criminal underground in the city that I'm still oblivious to, so you wouldn't have to spend all that time teaching them about all this stuff. Not only that, but you'd have to teach me about being a leader...in general. The only thing I've ever really led in my life was this prison-sponsored book club while I was in juvy, but...I don't think that compares to the biggest criminal organization in the western U.S."

"You're right. It doesn't compare...But I chose you, not just because I want to start a family criminal dynasty, but because I've known for two decades now that you are honest and insightful, principled and trustworthy, exceedingly intelligent...All of these things that are needed to run a crew. It's not like choosing you is a snub to all of my commissioners, because it's not just me making the decisions all the time. I have the final say in everything, but overall our crew structure is an oligarchy of sorts, where power rests with the most senior and experienced members, people whom I trust the most. In turn, they hold an endearing level of respect for me, so after I pass on...I figure it would be the best move to pass the reigns onto you. You're one of my kin and are building quite a good reputation of your own, so I figure appointing you as leader will minimize the chances of some sort of power struggle after I die. I see you as being a unifier of sorts. They'll all turn to you, because they'll see that tiny bit of the man that led the crew to greatness and power, manifested in you...Do you see what I'm saying?"

"Yeah...yeah, I do..."

Alexia nodded once again, as her uncle's explanation was more than satisfactory.

"With that being said, I really don't mind teaching you what you need to know. After all, I...I used to be just like you, Alexia. A quiet, reserved kid that had been sheltered from the world's darker aspects...But when I was 19, just a year younger than you are, I joined the Army and was sent off to Vietnam. The things I witnessed, what all I had to do to survive...needless to say, I didn't leave that country or that POW camp the same as when I entered. While Los Santos is not exactly a disease-ridden jungle, you still will be exposed to a lot, and your time here will ensure that you become experienced. You will get to lead your own smaller groups of criminals on jobs and missions, thus gaining that leadership experience you were worried about. So don't worry, I'm sure you will be fine."

Alexia again smiled up at her uncle, again feeling a wave of confidence in her own abilities. After all, if the leader of the most infamous crew on this side of the country believed in her, then she must be at least semi-competent.

"You're right, uncle...I'm gaining some experience tonight also, I was assigned as a sniper overlooking the house."

She held up the box containing her sniper rifle so that her uncle could see.

"Very good, Alexia," he observed. "You must have made quite an impression on Elena. She doesn't even know of your relation to me, and she generally doesn't allow new members on important missions like this...She must see potential in you as well."

"Yeah, all this potential that I didn't even know I had," said Alexia with a shy laugh.

Remus half-smiled in return.

"You have the potential to do great things, Alexia, as long as you stay smart and alert. Now...you must get going, Elena's going to want to mobilize as quickly as possible. And you, uh, want to continue to make a good impression on her because she'll be in charge of executing a lot of these raids that we'll be going on."

Alexia grabbed her rifle and turned to the door, but then stopped and looked back towards her uncle.

"Hey, um...I know that we have a new adult relationship now, but...Would it still be okay if I gave you a hug?"

Remus glanced upwards toward the ceiling, pondering the boundaries of their professional relationship and whether or not a familial gesture such as a hug would break the formalities of such an acquaintanceship.

"...Three seconds."

Alexia jumped at the opportunity and wrapped her arms around her uncle's waist, burying her head into his smoke-scented jacket.

The three-second limit was soon eclipsed, as were the five and ten-second marks, as the humongously tall man hugged his niece back, petting her hair affectionately.

Then, he released her, allowing his niece to venture out of the closet while he stayed behind to avert any sightings of them being seen walking together. She smiled at her uncle once more and wished him a warm good-bye as she exited the dusty, neglected broom closet.

Remus's guard escorted Alexia out of the dark, dismal hallway and back out towards the main lobby.

"That, uh, sounded like it went well," he opined.

"Uhh, I didn't know you were listening."

She gave the man a strange look, which forced him to hurry and explain the context of his eavesdropping.

"I-I mean, just...Not like that, but normally, I just hear a bunch of shouting and breaking objects whenever the boss meets with someone alone like that. It's a...it's a refreshing change. I know you're his niece, so maybe you just have some kinda calming effect on him."

"Yeah...yeah, that might be the case..."

Soon enough, Alexia and her escort had ventured out into the apartment lobby, where a group of Skulls were already mobilized in preparation for the assault. The majority of these people she did not yet know, but she knew that she would one day be presiding over them as leader of the crew.

As she made her way into the group of gangsters, a Skull reached out to her and greeted her warmly. She recognized this man as one of the people she had seen in the hours after the massacre, but she did not know his name. Despite this, he still reached out to her and greeted the girl with a hard slap on the back and a friendly handshake.

 _'Hmm...Might as well start honing my leadership skills now.'_ she internally advised herself.

She gave the man a firm handshake as well, fighting her social anxiety with all the fiber of her being. As long as she held it at bay, the awkwardness would not have a chance to peek out. And as long as she remained alert and insightful of what was happening around her, sure enough, she would rise to the top of the Black Skulls and cement herself in the dark and gritty history of Los Santos's criminal underground.


	15. Operation: Revenant

**Hey there guys, it's been a while hasn't it? First off, I want to sincerely apologize for my long absence from this site. I realize you all probably don't give a rat's tush about my excuses, but needless to say I have been busy. Some of you probably know how hectic senior year in high school is; well, that's what I've been dealing with as of late. Three AP classes, countless sleepless nights, applying for every scholarship and grant hoping that the massive debt you will spend your adult life paying off will be at least a little bit smaller...**

 **So...yeah, there's that. But about the story, this chapter is rather violent, so proceed with caution. Although I am talking to a bunch of GTA gamers, so that shouldn't be much of a hindrance to you.**

 **While typing up this chapter, I happened to notice that we are approaching the one-year anniversary of when I first uploaded this story. Back in Halloween of 2015, things were so much simpler, weren't they? Back then, no one had even heard the phrase 'Daaaaamn Daniel'. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson was leading in the Republican polls.** **Our Lord and Savior Harambe was still with us (may He rest in peace).**

 **Also, to the mysterious reviewer known only as 'Cameron', I read your proposal. I have absolutely no way of knowing if you're serious or not, but if you are, you certainly have my blessing, sir. I have no idea how you would do it, since this fic is so insanely long, but regardless, I'm glad you've enjoyed my story so far.**

 **Honestly, reviews from you guys and gals keep me going. I'm one of those people that likes to be told when I'm doing a great job (or when I'm not), so any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.**

 **But anyway, just sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy this piece of work that has been so long in the making.**

* * *

A charcoal-black LAPV Insurgent roared down a desolate stretch of northbound interstate, its engine bellowing like a menacing locomotive freighter down the road. On either side was a landscape left pitch-black by a cloud-smothered night, temporarily concealing the barren desert landscape that pervaded in this part of San Andreas.

The fact that there was hardly anyone on the road at this ungodly hour facilitated the Insurgent to travel at well over 100 miles per hour over faded dustblown pavement. Its xenon headlights illuminated drifts of peach-colored sand that coated the road like a measly November snowfall. All of the sand kicked up by the armored vehicle's tires gathered into flurries on the road and eventually found its way onto the Insurgent's own exterior, fading its jet-black paint significantly.

"...Sure is dusty out here," the Skull that was driving attempted to kick-start a conversation.

Alexia, who had been staring absentmindedly into the abyss of black outside from her passenger-side window, snapped back to attention when she heard his voice beside him.

"Yeah. Yeah, definitely..."

She looked over at the Black Skull who was driving the Insurgent, who also happened to be the same Skull who had so courteously greeted her on her first night in Los Santos. He was also one of Remus Knight's bodyguards, which was a very fitting role given his humongous size.

The gangster had since introduced himself to Alexia properly, calling himself 'Brian'. Alexia had felt bad about not asking the man's name sooner because he had always been so nice and warm to her.

Per his request, he had been assigned as a spotter for the sniper division. While this was a role he had never performed before, the Skulls' lack of suitable manpower and crunched timeframe meant that all departments were scoured for volunteers, including Remus Knight's personal bodyguards. Brian, however, accepted the job with enthusiasm due to his great love and devotion to the crew.

"Y'know, this whole state is technically one huge desert," the gentle giant informed her. "It's just not as obvious in the city because of all the water irrigation projects."

"Oh, I...I was wondering why it was always so hot around here."

Looking over his shoulder, Alexia could clearly see this desert, basked in incandescent light from a large complex directly adjacent to the highway. The mysterious group of buildings was bathed in light and surrounded by an imposing barbed-wire fence.

"...Why you lookin' over at the prison, Alexia?"

Realizing that Bolingbroke Federal Penitentiary was this illuminated entity in the desert, Alexia suddenly diverted her eyes away from the complex.

"Oh, uh...n-no reason..." she mumbled quietly.

Brian nodded, respecting that she did not wish to tell him.

"I've, uh, actually got a few buddies that are in there now...We've been trying to put together a raid and bust 'em out, but...security is really, really tight there. We can't really make a move without facing huge resistance. We normally just hit the smaller jails and mental institutions to recruit new members."

"Wait, so...all the Black Skulls are escaped inmates?"

"Most of 'em, yeah. Not all...But, uh, I was freed from a state prison in Alderney, I was there because I...killed the guy that had raped my sister. Crushed his skull in."

"Oh..."

Alexia looked down at the floor of the car, causing Brian to realize this error.

"I-I'm sorry, did that make you uncomfortable?"

"No, no, you're fine," she reassured him. "Go ahead."

Brian smiled and nodded gently.

"Well, the Skulls helped me and a few others to escape, flew all of us to Los Santos and educated us in the ways of the crew...Y'know, there is kind of an advantage to using prisoners, since they're all so angry at the system and want to get back at it. It's a motivation that really helps us in our attacks on the LSPD."

"Yeah, but...I would've thought that would make 'em a little harder to control, though."

"Now, no capable criminal is gonna be easy to control, Alexia. That's really not the way to go thinking about it...Actually, the majority of people we bring in are pretty conniving and selfish, only interested in their own well-being. We can't really change that, so instead we use it to our advantage, give them enough money and benefits that they're loyal to us, then put their hatred of the system to work in all the raids and purges we do...Y'know, before we admitted someone, the boss used to meet with them personally so that he could know he trusted them. But ever since he was put on the FIB's Most Wanted list a few years ago, security protocol didn't allow for that. So, we started using street races to gauge their endurance and capability under pressure."

Alexia nodded, yet her suspicion soon grew after Brian made this statement.

"Do you think that..." she began. "...Do you think that's possibly how this mole got into the crew?"

"Uhh...That's probably not the only factor. Our crew has just been on top for so long, we just...we must've gotten a little lazy, forgot to screen some people. I just...I really worry for your uncle sometimes. Being forced into seclusion and isolation like that, I can tell it's kinda been...messing with his head. Don't tell him I told you this, but he's grown more paranoid over the years, and...knowing that a mole can easily infiltrate the crew now is not gonna make that any better."

The crew leader's niece could only look down, thinking over Brian's concerns.

It was at this point that Alexia began to perceive a more in-depth focus on her future. Upon taking over as leader, would she also be doomed to such a miserably lonely existence, forced to become a recluse lurking within the Black Skull compound? Upon her uncle's passing of the leadership, his burden would most likely carry onto her, the new leader of a dangerous organization that government agencies and other street gangs wanted desperately to exterminate.

Despite this, Alexia had noticed that her uncle did not seem overly paranoid when she had talked with him earlier in the day. In fact, he had even got up in front of his crew on a stage and introduced them to Elena Volkov, revealing his face to a large portion of Skulls who had never seen him personally before. Personally, Alexia admired her uncle for taking this upon himself. It must have taken a great deal of courage to walk out into the open, despite the looming threat of bodily harm to him. Perhaps this would serve as the beginning of a new chapter of her uncle's tenure as crew leader, where he would come out of hiding to lead his crew through this time of great crisis.

She could only hope that this would not be the final chapter in her uncle's epic rise to fame as head of the Black Skulls.

Brian's jet-black Insurgent turned sharply off the pavement and, for the miraculous third night in a row, Alexia found herself sitting in a heavy armored car that was driving up a mountain. Why this specific situation had to occur for her so frequently, she did not have the slightest clue, but she was quite glad that Brian proceeded with caution up the mountain slope, his Insurgent's headlights dimmed so as to blend into the darkness.

He brought the truck to a stop a few yards from the crest of the mountain. As soon as Alexia opened the door and stepped out into the night air, she was greeted by the unmistakable sounds of the country: crickets talking in hushed chirps to each other, accompanied by the intermittent hooting of an owl or the lonesome howls of coyotes in the distance. It was, by all accounts, a chilly desert night, exacerbated by an eastbound wind that frequently blew in gusts, blowing her hair to and fro and sending great chills down her body.

Nonetheless, she couldn't help but smile at this setting that reminded her so much of her rural home as she assembled her rifle. Brian helped her in this endeavor by shining a tiny flashlight on the box in front of her. Any more light than this meager amount would risk the Roses spotting something abnormal in the mountains and going up to investigate.

After a few minutes of fumbling around in near-total darkness, Alexia successfully assembled the rifle. She and Brian also made sure to don a pair of black ski masks. The usual bulky skull masks were not required of them because of their job's insistence on peering into a scope.

As they neared the crest of the mountain, he signaled for her to remain as low to the ground as possible to avoid detection. She complied, crawling forward on her stomach following Brian's lead, until they reached the mountain's summit, overlooking a quaint rural home on San Andreas's eastern coast.

Once situated, she adjusted the scope of her rifle until the house was in a crystal-clear focus. Surrounded by a white picket fence and a curiously-manicured lawn and garden, this stylish residence certainly stood out from the rugged patch of coastline it sat on. A few guards patrolled around the entrance, flashlights searching for any trespassers or would-be assassins.

"Scope is live," Alexia announced. "I've got a pretty good view of the front of this house."

"Yeah, so do I," said Brian, peering into his binoculars and observing the scene closely. "We'll have to wait for the others, though, before we can start our assault."

Brian produced a portable radio from his pocket, which he used to communicate his and Alexia's status.

"Hotshot 6 is in position, awaiting further instruction. Over."

"Uhh...hotshot?" Alexia asked.

"Yeah, it's just a codename for our sniper units. You'll get used to the names after a while."

The radio buzzed as a voice came on. Brian leaned in close so that he could listen.

 _"Hotshot 3 is in position opposite you,"_ informed the disembodied voice. _"Awaiting further instruction. Over."_

The radio whirred as frequencies were changed.

 _"This is Headquarters,"_ uttered a very familiar Russian female voice. _"All personnel please state your status."_

 _"Nightwing 7 on standby,"_ said another very familiar voice with a thick Liberty City accent. _"A couple clicks from the target, waiting on the go-ahead."_

As several more voices continued to crackle over the airwaves, Alexia took the opportunity to carefully scan the premises, tracing the routes of patrolling guards and thinking of the best way that she could create a path for Damien's squadron to enter the house.

 _"Falcon 1 on standby,"_ stated the most familiar voice of all, a female who sounded very eager to get started. _"At the desert nest, waitin' for y'all."_

 _"All positions confirmed,"_ said Elena. _"Operation Revenant is a go."_

Alexia, impressed by the professionalism of everyone involved in this assault, cocked her rifle and aimed it at the first obstacle the extraction team would be facing, the picturesque El Gordo Lighthouse.

 _"Alright, two guards seem to be manning the lighthouse,"_ informed the man whom Alexia knew only as 'Hotshot 3'. _"But they're in close enough proximity to each other that we're gonna have to perform a coordinated takedown."_

The new, inexperienced sniper stopped for a few moments, pondering what exactly Hotshot 3 meant by this phrase.

"That's, uh...shoot 'em at the same time, right?" she asked into her own portable radio.

 _"Uhh, yeah. That's exactly what it is,"_ said the sniper on the other mountain peak, laughing somewhat. _"Okay, on my mark, Hotshot 6."_

Alexia readied her gun to fire, aiming at the guard that was nearest to her position. An omnipresent tightness in her stomach began to manifest, which caused her heart to pound mercilessly against the walls of her chest. The hands that she gripped the gun with began to clam up with cold, nervous perspiration.

She made some last-minute adjustments to account for a leeward wind and the enormous distance that separated her and the guard atop the lighthouse.

 _"3...2...1..."_

At almost the exact same time, the two guards on top of the lighthouse fell over, killed simultaneously by two sniper bullets. One had been delivered a clean headshot, while the other had received a slightly-less-accurate-but-nonetheless-lethal heartshot.

Seeing as her bullet had successfully hit, Alexia briefly allowed herself to briefly relax her tensed-up muscles, yet she knew that her mission atop this mountain was far from over.

"Okay, lighthouse is clear of hostiles," Brian informed Damien's infiltration squadron.

 _"Roger that._ _We're movin' up."_

From the distal corners of her vision, she managed to spot a jet-black Dinghy, leaving a trail of whitewash as it navigated the rocks and waves of the coast. In it were seated the 4 Skulls that were charged with securing the target. The driver of the boat made sure to avoid areas of the water that were illuminated by the bright spinning light atop the tower.

 _"I took care of the guard on the pier,"_ Hotshot 3 proclaimed. _"You should face no opposition there."_

 _"Roger, we're moving up to the staircase now."_

The boat coasted to a stop alongside a simple wooden pier at the bottom of the cliff the house sat on, enabling them to climb up a rickety set of stairs and onto land.

At this point, however, Alexia began to experience difficulty in seeing the house, and its associated guards because the house's lawn was coated in darkness from a such a cloudy, moonless night.

"Y'know, there's a thermal scope on your rifle, Alexia," said Brian in a hushed voice. "Just hit that switch right there."

Brian graciously reached over and flipped it for her, casting the world in a flurried array of purple and red. Apparitions of bright yellow light roamed about the mysterious alien landscape, floating like vigilant fireflies around the house. A few of these spectral forms also manifested inside of the house, patrolling in similar arcs and circles.

"...What all do you see?" asked Brian.

"Yeah, I can see all the guards now. There's also a few people inside the house with weapons, but...man, you'd think they'd have more people trying to protect this guy. Security seems a little light."

"Hmm. Yeah, that is kinda weird...But surely they must've picked some tough guys to protect him. We don't want Damien's squadron to run into them."

"Right..."

Alexia again adjusted her scope and prepared to get to work.

Eventually, her wandering eye came across a guard standing near the front of the house, his head perfectly aligned within her crosshairs. He seemed an almost perfect unmoving target, save for the fact that he was vigorously scratching his crotch, providing a reasonable explanation as to why he was so isolated from the other guards.

"Oh, I think you got him," said Brian with a laugh. "Go ahead and put him down, Lex."

Alexia did so, squeezing the trigger after adjusting for wind and distance and letting her bullet fly through the air.

Then, the unthinkable happened: In the 2 seconds it took for Alexia's bullet to travel down from the mountain peak, the man ducked to pick up something that he had found on the ground. The sound of a nearby sniper bullet impacting the ground was still enough to grab his attention and cause him to descend into a panic. Alexia could see the man's yellow-tinted body react in fear, crouching down and turning his head every which way in an attempt to source the bullet's origin.

"Shit, he's spotted us! Hurry and get him, Alexia!"

The girl beside him, in a state of panic herself, quickly reloaded her gun and aimed for a second shot.

She fired another bullet, which managed to hit the man in the chest, mere microseconds before he could whistle to the other guards and signal danger. The messy shot landed right below the man's heart, but nonetheless caused him to slump over dead.

At the thought of almost blowing the entire mission, her heart began thumping violently within her ribs. Her hands trembled as she held the powerful rifle that could easily kill a man with a single shot.

"Do you..." she started, once she had caught her breath. "...Do you think they saw that?"

Brian took a few moments to scan the rank of guards with his binoculars.

"I think you're good, no one saw it...Just, uh, be more careful next time, okay?"

"Okay...okay..." she said in between deep breaths.

In the time Alexia had taken to deal with this one unruly guard, the sniper opposite her had downed several more Roses, with the assistance of the extraction team's silenced Special Carbines. The new, inexperienced sniper found herself struggling to keep up as guards were being downed left and right without her assistance.

 _"This is Nightwing 7, we have successfully infiltrated the property. Ready to engage,"_ said Damien in a nervous whisper.

 _"Affirmative,"_ affirmed Elena. _"Unit 5, get ready to blow the charges on his signal...It is about to get quite hairy out there, people, so prepare yourselves."_

Hearing Elena's foreboding words, Alexia reloaded her rifle, making sure she had a full magazine to work with once the action intensified.

Using her thermal scope, she could clearly lay her eyes upon 4 armed figures moving with SWAT-like expertise up to the front entrance, guns pointed at anyone they might run into, before taking cover right next to the front door.

One of the yellow-tinted entities in Alexia's scope, which she soon recognized as her own boyfriend, positioned himself directly in front of the doorway, holding an unidentified object in his right hand.

 _"Okay,"_ she heard his highly-strained voice through the radio. _"Make it dark in 3...2...1..."_

Following this highly-anticipated climactic moment, several seconds crawled by in every Black Skulls' mind, from the four brave men on the ground, from Alexia and the other snipers up high in the mountains, to Jess's squadron of fighter jets near Sandy Shores airfield. In addition, another larger unit of Skulls in heavy armored vehicles lay in wait just around the corner to provide overwhelming ground resistance.

Despite the tense waiting, the lights remained on in the quaint oceanside house that protected the Skulls' target.

 _"...Hey, you guys gonna blow the fucking charges?"_ Damien angrily whispered into his radio.

However, he received no response from the two Skulls charged with this important task.

 _"Unit 5, come in_!"Elena shouted at the two slacking Skulls.

Still, no response came, and instead an eerie silence manifested over the airwaves, confirming that something was obviously very wrong. It was not very likely for two Skulls, who seemed to be enthusiastic about taking on such an important task, to be slacking this much, especially since they had heard their voices over the radio.

Then, in a flash, Alexia watched as the front of the house was engulfed by an explosion, enveloping the four men in an impermeable cloud of smoke and debris.

 _"SHIT! SHIT, TAKE COVER!"_

The Roses that had been guarding the inside grabbed their guns, hurrying outside to catch Damien's blindsided squadron.

 _"Reinforcements, move in now!"_ commanded Elena.

At her signal, a legion of heavy armored vehicles stampeded down the small dirt road, headlights flashing and gunners at the ready, a veritable dust storm following them down the dusty old road that was not built for this kind of heavy traffic load.

However, they were hampered in their charge by an equally large herd of dark red Insurgents, who met them at the end of the road and readily engaged the Skulls in a vicious vehicular battle, preventing them from providing much-needed assistance to Damien and his men. Several Skulls were downed outright by Rose gunfire before they could regroup and head off the ambush.

 _"Black Skulls, retreat! They have led us into a trap, the traitor is not here. Grab the extraction team and regroup at the rendezvous point."_

In the ensuing pandemonium, all that Alexia could do was pick off as many Roses as possible with her rifle. Despite the towering smoke screen hanging over the house, Alexia was still able to read heat signatures with her thermal scope, and was even able to tell which red-orange entities were affiliated with her: The four men that were currently fighting for their lives had on armor-plated skull masks, which gave them a distinct appearance from the mostly-plainclothed Rose infantrymen.

"Those sons of bitches were waiting for us..." said Brian, his demeanor much angrier than what Alexia normally associated with him. "How did they even know we were coming?"

Shortly after Brian asked this, Alexia began to pick up a strange noise coming from the south. The noise, which bore a distinct resemblance to that of a roaring Great Plains tornado, echoed off the mountainside and seemed to approach her and Brian at a terrifying speed.

Alexia briefly stopped and looked behind her, just in time to see three military jets zip past, passing only a few meters above her head. The fighter craft flew in a tight formation, with Lazers on either side of a slightly larger and older-looking jet, which Alexia correctly identified as Jess's beloved Hydra.

 _"Alright, boys, stick with me!"_ sounded Jess's ever-enthusiastic voice. _"On my mark, we provide overwhelming retaliation from the air. Copy?"_

 _"Roger that, Falcon Leader."_

 _"HEY!"_

Jess suddenly scolded the man who had addressed her over the radio.

 _"We went over this, my codename is Lieutenant Maverick!"_

 _"Uhh, copy that...Lieutenant Maverick,"_ said the other pilot, respecting Jess's love of movie references. _"So, uh, we switching to the cannons?"_

 _"Affirmative, Goose...Let's unleash hellfire."_

With that being said, the three jets executed a tight 180-degree turn, still flying in synchronized formation, before using rapid-firing cannons mounted on the front of the jets to blow an entire line of Rose vehicles to smithereens, their charred carcasses launching a good 10 feet into the air before finally crashing back down and kicking up a large plume of dust and gasoline smoke.

 _"Hahaaaa, get ROASTED!"_ taunted Jess.

 _"Guys, we need some serious help down here! They're closing in on us!"_ said Damien in a frantic voice.

 _"Affirmative...Skulls, make a perimeter around the building...Nightwing Squadron, try and make a push for the outside boundary. You'll have more covering fire."_

 _"Commander...We've got 2 wounded, 1 unable to walk...Serious doubts of being able to make it fast enough without further casualties."_

Alexia, from her position on the mountain, could see very clearly the dire situation that her comrades faced: They were huddled in a corner of the yard, trying desperately to stop the advancing Roses all around them. One of them lay on the ground, curling up in agony from a bullet wound in his back.

Despite the assistance she provided with her rifle, the Roses proved elusive targets; by this point, they were aware of the sniper on the hill and were taking cover behind walls and other objects that her bullets had difficulty penetrating. The view of the sniper opposite her was completely blocked by the house, leaving the rookie sniper to deal with the Roses alone.

 _"Hmm. Hold on now, what's this?"_

Jess's question was directed toward three figures approaching from the northeast, which surely would have popped up on her radar screen as well. As they approached ever closer to the property, it became more obvious that these were fighter jets as well, whose trails of bright blue and purple fire streaked across the night sky like threatening meteorites, heading straight toward the Skulls' position.

 _"Three enemy jets approaching from the northeast,"_ confirmed Elena. _"Falcon squadron, you'll have to intercept them before they get to us."_

 _"Ohh, so it's a dogfight you want, is it?!"_ stated an adrenaline-filled Jess. _"Well, why didn't you just say so? ON ME, MEN!"_

At Jess's command, the two other Skull jets lined up directly behind Jess's Hydra, who flew in a razor-edge path directly towards the approaching jets.

Seeing the enemy aircraft, the Roses immediately opened fire with heat-seeking missiles. Luckily, Jess pulled her aircraft upward, her two partners following her lead and performing three separate loops to throw off the missiles' guidance systems.

Alexia could only look on in awe as she witnessed the intense aerial battle, unlike anything she had ever seen before. Rockets exploding in mid-air, jets swooping through the sky and coming within mere feet of each other at times, the smell of smoke as it drifted across the sky and across the mountain peak she was positioned atop, was nothing short of an awesome spectacle for the girl who, just a few days ago, was an unemployed and severely-depressed ex-convict living in the middle of nowhere, with no prospect as to how she was going to live the rest of her life. As she lay on the ground, still gripping her rifle in her black-gloved hands, she looked at the chaotic scene in the night sky in the transient state that she was so prone to slip into.

 _"Okay we're makin' a push for the outside, keep us covered!"_

 _"Affirmative,"_ Elena answered Damien's call. _"Skulls, defensive maneuver alpha 7!"_

On Elena's command, the Skulls immediately positioned their heavy armored vehicles in a line along the front perimeter of the house, providing Damien's beleaguered squadron with a wall of iron and metal to shield them from gunfire.

As soon as the moment presented itself, the four men made their way quickly across the corpse-littered lawn, dodging shells and bullets and helping the wounded man along, who could do no more than hobble through the hellfire.

Then, two well-armed Roses burst onto the already-chaotic scene, automatic rifles in hand and aimed at the four struggling men.

Damien and his men immediately moved to exchange fire, but before they could do so, the two Roses instantaneously dropped dead at their feet, blood and brain matter pooling from the back of their heads.

Alexia, who had seen the attackers coming with her infrared scope, had quickly moved to eliminate the threat, killing the two Roses with a single sniper bullet.

 _"Shit..."_ Damien practically whispered in amazement. _"...Hey, who did that?"_

She moved quickly to her portable radio to answer her boyfriend's question.

"Uh, that was me."

 _"Oh. Heh, thanks babe. 'Preciate it."_

 _"Yeah, thanks Alexia,"_ added another Skull in Damien's squadron. _"We couldn't do it without you."_

Alexia, flattered by these compliments, allowed herself a brief smile and blush before returning to the highly-tense battle situation.

She scanned the field, full of corpses from either side of the battle and the still-living perpetrators of such carnage, and the fighter jets circling above, creating brilliant fireworks in the still night air. Sitting thousands of feet above the chaos, peering down like a deity on the violent scene, Alexia began to feel a strange dread metastasize in the pit of her stomach, one unlike the feeling which she felt when turning back to look at the blood-streaked walls and bullet-riddled floors of the Bahama Mamas nightclub.

This dread, however, had a new form, one which caused her to question why she was still breathing at the moment, unlike the fallen she laid her eyes upon and the two Skulls tasked with planting the explosives that most certainly met their ends. Sitting atop the mountain, completely vulnerable to any attack from behind, her worries caused her to turn to her partner in a haste.

"Hey, uh, Brian?"

"Yeah? I haven't found another guy out of cover that you can shoot at yet, but I'll let ya' know."

"No, it's not that, it's..."

She paused for a minute, thinking of how best to voice her concerns over this new thought that was pushing and shoving against her conscience, forcing her to speak up.

"...Do you think that...the Roses know about us too? I mean, since they knew that the extraction team was coming, and the jets, and the reinforcements, and...pretty much everyone else...Why haven't they wiped out the sniper units yet? You'd think we'd be the first ones they went after."

Alexia's question caused Brian to pause and remove the binoculars from his eyes.

He looked down at the ground for a moment before meeting her eyes, glazed over with worry now that her concern had registered to him as a legitimate threat.

"...I'm not sure...But we probably need to get outta here."

With that being said, the two accomplices headed back to the Insurgent exactly as they had come, crawling backwards on their bellies toward the camouflaged midnight-black armored truck.

"You sure it's okay for us to abandon our post?"

"We're not much help up here anymore, so it's probably best if we go down and join the others on the ground. We'll be much more useful to the mission if we're shooting at, well...something."

"Yeah, you have a point...Well, I've got my Special Carbine with me. I should be able to..."

Alexia stopped mid-sentence, peering off at a distant object in the darkness.

"Wh...hey, what is that?" she asked.

"What?"

Brian turned back, curious at what captivated Alexia's attention.

Soon enough, he too noticed it, a small detail amidst the night sky whose captivating purple twinkle filled those who witnessed it with a most intense fright. The light, glimmering like an imploding supernova, was growing ever closer to their location, menacing the two partners who stood completely alone atop the barren mountaintop.

An unmistakable sound, one which had made itself familiar over the past few minutes, soon manifested from the light: the sound of a fighter jet's engine.

Without saying a word, Brian grabbed hold of Alexia's shirt and pulled her down into cover, right beside the gigantic hunk of metal that served as his vehicle. The jet had since made its way overhead, its thrusters set to hovering mode right above their position.

The uncertainty surrounding whether or not the pilot was aware of the sniper team crouching below his aircraft caused both Alexia and Brian anxiety; they held their breaths as the jet gradually moved forward, still in hover mode, before making a sharp 180-degree turn so that the jet's cannons were pointed directly at the helpless duo.

They dashed toward the rear of the Insurgent as the front of the Hydra spat highly-charged explosive rounds in their direction, charring the sparse grass and dirt atop the mountain, causing gigantic craters in the nutrient-poor soil and a hail of dirt and rocks to come crashing down from above.

Taking cover behind the two-ton hunk of metal that had served as their transport up the mountain, Alexia could feel the Insurgent shake and shudder as bullets pelted its surface. She did not know how long the heavy armored vehicle could hold under this monumental strain, despite the thick layers of corrugated steel that lined its midnight-black exterior.

"Mayday, mayday!" Brian shouted into his radio. "Red Commander, this is Hotshot 6! We are taking fire from enemy aircraft!"

Expecting a response from the Russian woman in charge of the mission, Brian received only a stream of static from his radio.

"Red Commander! Do you copy?!"

After a few more seconds with no response, Brian threw his walkie-talkie down in frustration.

"Shit, they must be blocking our radio signals somehow!"

Out at sea, the three fighter jets were still entangled in a fierce air battle, completely unaware of the fourth enemy aircraft threatening the sniper unit. The fact that Elena did not spot the enemy on radar indicated that the enemy must be utilizing some form of device that scrambles electronic signals, a technology that had been far above the Black Skulls' capabilities, let alone the slightly-smaller Roses.

Seeing as no one would be coming to their rescue, Brian opened the trunk of his Insurgent. Inside, amidst a cache of weapons, Brian pulled out a curious-looking object, a long cylindrical oddity which the gigantic man held in both of his massive hands.

Peering through the darkness, Alexia soon recognized the object, and the realization of what it was caused her to stare down at it in awe.

"Yeahh, this here is my baby," said Brian, petting the homing RPG affectionately. "I've been savin' her for a rainy day. Which, in our industry, means 'totally fucked, life-or-death situation'."

Brian moved toward the outside boundary, peeking over the edge slightly to look at his target, the Hydra that continued to berate the Insurgent with explosive rounds.

As the heavy armored vehicle shook with each round that pelted its surface, Alexia began to wonder how long Brian's Insurgent could withstand the constant barrage that it was being subjected to. Surely, the armor had to give way at some point, and the bullets could successfully penetrate the inner workings, causing catastrophic engine failure and possibly a massive explosion.

Brian, however, adjusted the scope on the rocket launcher, readying to fire at the hovering menace before them. His expression seemed rather faithful in his hardy Insurgent to withstand the bullets and protect him and his ill-adjusted partner for the time being.

"You just stay in cover right there, Alexia! I'm firing!"

With a blinding flash of white light, a rocket was released from the gigantic tube, speeding toward the metal apparatus of death hovering over the precipice of the mountain.

However, with a slight jerk of the wing, Brian's shot missed, and the rocket sprialed aimlessly through the open air before finally sputtering out and exploding in the night sky.

Brian growled in frustration at having missed, before retreating from the edge of the Insurgent so that he could reload.

As he was doing this, he noticed for the first time Alexia's expression, which showed vivid fear through her eyes. The inexperienced girl hyperventilated into her sleeve, trying yet failing to keep calm in such an intense situation.

"Hey, Alexia. Don't worry, it's gonna be alright," he said as he closed the tube, with a rocket tucked delicately inside. "I ain't gonna let anything happen to you."

Alexia looked up at her partner, who gave a warm calming smile.

"I'll down this Hydra, then we'll go back to the compound and we'll have a few drinks, alright? Sound cool?"

In response to such a generous outlook in a time of crisis, Alexia couldn't help but give a meek smile towards her gigantic partner. She nodded at Brian, trusting in his ability to get them out of such a perilous situation.

"Yeah, that...that sounds great, Brian."

"Heh, alright Lex. I'm-"

In a horrifying instant, the air of mutual trust between the two was wiped clean away, along with about three-quarters of Brian's cranium. The gigantic man's body was launched a few yards away by the impact of the bullet, tumbling to a stop down the mountainside. His beloved rocket launcher continued on down the slope of the mountain, eventually becoming lost in the night.

After a relentless barrage of bullets, the Insurgent's front windshield, which Brian had specifically designed to be bulletproof, finally gave way, allowing the large round to travel through the Insurgent's interior and hit the gentle giant square in his temple. While the gentle giant's death was generously quick and painless, it was not without its accompanying spew of blood and imploded fragments of the skull, which mixed with patches of dirt and sediment flung into the air by bullets.

Alexia, meanwhile, could only look down in disbelief and horror at her partner, now a mostly-decapitated corpse on the ground. She momentarily could not urge herself to believe what had just occurred before her eyes; the overwhelmingly violent and sudden death of the man that she had just started to become seriously acquainted with.

Despite the shock that she had just incurred, Alexia knew all too well that if she dwelt too deep on what had just occurred, she would become helplessly entrenched within the depths of her own mind, unable to rid herself of the shock and survive this attack. In an effort to keep herself moving and not fall into such a traumatized state, Alexia threw open the Insurgent's trunk and pulled out her Special Carbine rifle, the gift from Damien that she had received two nights prior.

Under such stress, Alexia struggled immensely to retain her composure and focus on downing the jet. With a well-placed shot, she reasoned, she could down a Hydra just like she did the Annihlator helicopter. For the aforementioned task, she had used the exact same weapon, and was about at the same distance from her target when she had taken the fateful shot and saved the tiny band of surviving Skulls.

Now, however, Alexia was simply a rookie member of the Black Skulls who had the unfortunate task of facing such a daunting enemy alone. Nonetheless, she gritted her teeth and began to fire her machine gun at the hovering bullet-spewing monster before her.

Though her bullets barely created dents in the Hydra's steel-plated frame, Alexia continued firing, round after round, hoping that one of her bullets would successfully crack the windshield and neutralize the pilot. Meanwhile, Brian's Insurgent, the only cover that Alexia had from the bullets, began to shake more and more violently as its armor plating was stripped away, leaving the engine much more susceptible to engine failure and possibly violent explosion.

"C'mon, Alexia..." she said to herself in a trembling voice. "Y-you handled that armored helicopter the other night, didn't you?...Why can't you...?!"

In an instant, the continuous flow of bullets from the Hydra came to a halt, and the Insurgent stopped its violent convulsions. A relative silence instead filled the night air, save for the falcon-like screech of the engines as they hovered above the mountaintop.

While Alexia was left sorely confused by such a drastic change in conditions, she reasoned that it provided ample opportunity for her to get a few shots in at the pilot, an opportunity that she might not receive again.

Momentarily leaving cover, Alexia aimed her sights directly at the Hydra's windshield, only to be stopped dead in her tracks by an even more terrifying premonition emanating from the hovering menace.

She barely had time to scramble for cover as the heat-seeking missiles hurtled toward her location, striking the battered Insurgent and the patch of ground right next to her. The overwhelming force of the two nearby explosions was enough to knock Alexia off-balance, loosening the machine gun from her grip and sending her spilling onto the ground. A spray of soil and jagged rocks rained down on her position, the result of the massive crater that the missile had created in the mountain's surface

Disoriented and covered in dirt, Alexia lie on the ground, staring up at a pure-black black sky above. Quite a bleak sight, she thought, for the last thing that she would ever lay her eyes upon.

Brian's Insurgent was producing a steady stream of smoke, finally cracking under the pressure. Another two missiles fired into it would most certainly result in the Insurgent going up in flames, incinerating the girl lying helplessly beside it. She reasoned that she could run, but the superior machinery of the Hydra would have no trouble in killing her, whether it be near the Insurgent or elsewhere on the mountain.

Realizing that these were the final moments of her life, Alexia wanted most of all to apologize; to her uncle, who had such high hopes for her new life in Los Santos; to Jess, whom she feared would go and do something drastic due to the grief of losing her best friend; to Brian, who lie dead a few feet away because she was such a helpless rookie; to the family she had abandoned, and a sizable list of people that she had hurt throughout her life.

Considering the innumerable sins and atrocities she had committed in her short 20-year life, most of which were still without repentance, she was sorely afraid of dying, or more specifically, the portion of the afterlife where her soul would fester for eternity. Hellfire surely awaited her, yet there was nothing that she could do about it. She could only accept her fate, hoping that the torment her soul would endure would make up for all the suffering she had caused on Earth.

Another explosion was audible behind her, signalling to her that another missile had been fired. This time, however, a projectile did not hit the Insurgent, or anywhere near its location. Instead, Alexia noticed the sound of the jet's engines becoming more like a strained screech, strangely resembling some kind of animal in severe pain.

She sat up just in time to see the Hydra, engulfed in flames, sink down at a 90-degree rotation before striking the mountainside, exploding upon impact.

Alexia was initially befuddled as to how the Hydra had gone down, until she spotted another military jet zoom past the impact zone.

 _"Hey, STAY AWAY FROM MY BREAD AND BUTTER!"_

Jess's voice screamed over the airwaves, as the radio signals had mysteriously come back on after the Rose Hydra was destroyed.

The more-friendly military jet sailed across the night sky, trailing a faint line of smoke from the intense dogfight it had returned from.

 _"Hotshot 6, come in! A-are you alright?"_ asked a frightened-sounding Jess.

Alexia immediately picked up her walkie-talkie to confirm her status.

Looking at herself in the Insurgent's mirror, Alexia barely recognized the disheveled and dirt-soiled cover reflected through partially-broken glass as being herself. She was covered from head to toe in dirt and grime, and flying rocks had dealt her a few blood-producing cuts.

Otherwise, however, she was completely unharmed, due in large part to her best friend saving her once again.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I'm good..." she responded in a quiet voice. "...Thanks, Jes...er, Lieutenant."

 _"Oh, it's no problem, homie. That's what friends are for after all. Now, where was I?...O-oh yeah, DIE YOU IGNORANT SHIT-EATING PRICKS!"_

Jess performed another skilled aerial dive, taking out an entire line of Rose vehicles in the process.

 _"Ok guys, this could be our window! Let's move it out!"_

As Jess had cleared a section of the battlefield proximal to their position, Damien and his squadron made a mad dash toward the cover of two black Insurgents lined up beside each other. The four beleaguered men scrambled into the safety of the Insurgents, one man having to be assisted by Damien as the armored vehicle was pelted by Rose bullets.

 _"Extraction team secured!"_ announced a member of the reinforcements. _"All four are in our possession, Red Commander!"_

 _"Affirmative, now get out of there quickly. Local police have been flooded reports of explosions and gunfire in this area, it will not be long before they arrive."_

As if on cue, the sound of police sirens could be heard in the distance, blue and red lights speeding down the narrow dirt road that led to the lighthouse.

The Black Skulls, a group that had never been known to fear the police, accelerated headlong toward the threat. The heavier Insurgents and other armored vehicles had little trouble in knocking the rural police cruisers off the road.

The sizable convoy of Skulls sped headlong off into the distance, more police cruisers soon meeting them to give chase. Assistance was given by the three military jets, who helped clear any sizable roadblocks and other obstacles that remained in the Skulls' way as they proceeded down the road.

Realizing that she must make her escape as well, Alexia looked over at Brian's Insurgent, whose engine was producing a cloud of thick smoke. Bullet holes covered every tangible surface of the Insurgent as well as its interior, leaving Alexia extremely doubtful that she would make it all the way down the mountain, let alone back to the city, in such a battered vehicle.

Nonetheless, Alexia walked over to Brian's corpse, lying in a tangled repose on the ground. A thick trail of blood in the grass led to the location of his pulped mess of a body. Skull fragments and brain matter littered the ground around his body, and the man's face had been completely caved in by the bullet striking him in the head. Visible were segments where muscle and skin had been torn clean from the skull, the pieces scattered haphazardly around the spot where he fell.

Alexia, who had tried her best to keep her composure after witnessing Brian's death, simply could hold her grief no longer. Seeing the kind and gentle man dead in such a violent fashion, she felt a massive lump begin to form in her throat; her lip trembled as sorrowful tears rolled down her cheeks.

Despite only knowing him well for a few hours, Alexia felt that she had lost a great friend in Brian, a man that could potentially have been an ally down the road. The unexpected suddenness of his death caused the grief to be all the more wrenching, as she had never personally witnessed an acquaintance of hers be killed while she watched, unable to do anything to prevent it.

She forced herself to reach into the dead man's pocket, rummaging around until she found the keys to his Insurgent.

Climbing into the front seat, she was forced to crank the engine numerous times before it finally started, wheezing and sputtering in protest.

Brian's remains were still visible in her rearview mirror; Alexia could not move the gigantic man off the mountain herself, but she would make sure that he was not left to the mercy of vultures and whatever else roamed the San Andreas wilderness; she would possibly come back with a few others and carry his body to be laid to rest, discretely yet with utmost respect.

Alexia turned around, then accelerated down the mountain. Faint rays of dawn had begun to break through the relentless black sky, providing her with sufficient light to navigate obstacles and rocks on her way down. As the Insurgent picked up speed, the kinetic energy boost helped the engine to maintain, hopefully allowing it to hold keep churning long enough for the lengthy trip back to the compound.


	16. Blaze It

"Hold back for a second, Lexi. Let's see what these guys are up to."

Jess peered cautiously from the edge of the wall, observing the gang of black leather-clad bikers that had congregated under Del Perro Pier.

"Hmm. Yep, this is the drug deal alright...Yeesh, Gerald wasn't wrong, these dudes are stacked. Must be like 20 kilos in the back of that van over there."

"Wow...I'm assuming that's a lot of cocaine," Alexia opined.

"Enough to have the craziest night of your life, that's for sure," said Jess, snickering mischievously. "But, uh, I'll tell you more about that later."

Curious, Alexia leaned over from her position of cover against the wooden pier support, scoping the scene for herself. Witnessing all the Lost MC gang members, armed to the teeth and watching for any intrusion into their business dealings, she began to ponder on just how she and Jess would be able to handle such a large collection of gangsters.

It had been about a week since the Skulls' failed attempt at taking vengeance for the massacre of their brethren. Since then, supplies had been restocked and the dead had been buried, among them being Brian; Alexia had led a group of men back to his body and assisted them in transporting the body to a rural church in Great Chapparal, where he was sent off with all the respect of his fellow crew members.

The mole had still not been located, despite the best efforts of everyone involved in gathering intelligence and interrogating informants. The war, meanwhile, had mostly devolved to intermittent rounds of debauchery: the two powerful gangs torched each others' warehouses and other important buildings in the state, hoping that one would run out of supplies and money faster than the other would. Word around the inner circles was that Remus Knight was planning on hitting the Roses where it hurt the most, in an effort to get them to halt their attacks on Black Skull industries.

Alexia, meanwhile, continued to progress fastidiously in her criminal career, as her uncle had hoped that she would. With Jess as her primary partner, she had intercepted numerous deals and stolen high-end sports cars for her secondary boss at the moment, Mr. Simeon Yetarian. Martin Madrazo had also made use of the duo's services, using them to run various jobs that his primary followers were too busy to deal with. Whether this was assassinating a sleazy lawyer or hijacking a cargo full of narcotics, this plentiful side business helped Alexia and Jess to expedite their income. This had allowed Jess to pay off some of her massive debts to tax collectors and shady drug kingpins in the city, and Alexia to pay off some of the substantial debt that she still owed to her uncle.

The burgeoning, enthusiastic young criminal seemed a worthy candidate for promotion, although she had not received word from her uncle about such a thing. Her reputation among the crew, however, continued to increase steadily, even through the cold, glaring eyes of Elena Volkov. The few times that she had seen Alexia within the confines of the Black Skull compound, her countenance seemed to take on a new stance, retaining the serious demeanor that she derived on everyone, yet with a somewhat more relaxed impartiality. She could only hope that she might be warming up to her, as the professional Russian woman could make for a trustworthy friend and ally within the crew.

For the moment, however, Alexia was still a hapless rookie with only one or two good friends within the crew, performing relatively low-paying jobs that higher-level members did not care to bother with.

"So, uh...what's the plan here, Jess?" she asked her most loyal confidante, who remained in cover on the wall adjacent to her.

"I say our best shot is coming at 'em from this angle. But, uh, since there's only the two of us...if we stand any chance at this thing, we're gonna have to overwhelm them with firepower. That's why we brought machine guns to this battle."

Jess brandished her Bullpup Rifle, which she had recently added a high-powered scope and muzzle suppressor onto.

Alexia looked down at her Special Carbine, the cherished gift that she had received from Damien. Due to the ongoing war, he was much too busy to assist her in missions or carry on the standard roles associated with a girl's boyfriend. Yet, through this gun, which she made sure to keep clean and ready for combat at all times, she felt that he was with her, in a sense, throughout all the chaos and bedlam that she endured while wielding the rifle.

Listening above her, Alexia could hear all the excitement and chatter going on the Boardwalk; people out enjoying the beautiful weather, enjoying amusement park rides and buying hot dogs from foreigners at confectionary stands. However, as soon as the gunfire started, she knew that everyone's day on the pier would be effectively ruined, as the entire area would be turned into a blood-spattered crime scene.

Alexia sighed, trying her best to let go of her nagging morality as she prepared to commit mass murder.

"Okay, let's do this Jessie...Best of luck to you."

"You too, buddy," said Jess, smiling brightly. "Let's go."

With that being said, the two donned their black skull masks, their primary protection from being identified by passerby. Then the two prepared to attack, looking at each other to ensure that it occurred at the exact same time.

Holding up three fingers, Jess counted down to two, then one, before her and Alexia simultaneously fired on the congregation of bikers.

"Shit! Get down, brothers!"

The bikers under Del Perro pier scrambled for cover behind their vehicles, returning fire back at their mysterious assailants.

 _"Get down?!"_ shouted Jess. _"No, y'all need to GET DOWN with giving us that product, you dig?!"_

"What the...?! It's two chicks?!" shouted a frighteningly-confused biker.

 _"Yeah! You got a problem with that, leather-chaps?"_

To show that she meant business, Jess immediately killed an exposed biker with a headshot, then disarmed another one with a bullet in his shoulder.

Alexia scored even bigger successes, scoring a few headshots on ill-prepared bikers. She even managed a couple of kills from a blind-firing position, a technique that she had been working on perfecting as of late.

The bikers, however, were not going to give up their product easily. Bullets flew back and forth between the two aggressors as pedestrians scrambled for cover. In such a hot spot for tourist activity, the police would be called at any minute, so it was imperative that Alexia and Jess retrieve the drugs quickly.

Consolidating their firepower, the pair eventually worked the bikers down from a well-enclosed group to a few individuals frantically fighting for survival. However, the sheer amount of cover that they were provided - metal bikes and steel-plated vans - made it quite difficult to get more shots in at the bikers.

 _"FOLLOW MY LEAD ON 3!"_ shouted Jess over the gunfire. _"Uhh...3!"_

With little warning, Jess bolted out from cover and began advancing toward the bikers' position, firing as she ran along the battlefield. Alexia had little choice but to follow her best friend into the chaos.

Running and gunning on both sides of the narrow tunnel under Del Perro Pier, the two friends began closing in on the bikers, coming close enough to them that hand-to-hand combat was soon initiated.

One of the bikers attempted to stab Jess in the abdomen with his switchblade, but the muscular 6-foot-tall woman easily deflected the knife and knocked the man out with the butt of her gun, putting a bullet through his skull to ensure that he stayed down.

While she was distracted with this man, however, another biker took the opportunity to grab Jess from behind.

Jess knew enough to freeze as her arm was pulled behind her back, and she felt the edge of a cold steel blade against her neck.

"Don't you move!" growled the man. "Or this bitch is fucking dead!"

Alexia, however, kept her gun pointed at the biker who held her friend, not saying a word. Instead, she simply looked at the man, her head cocked slightly to the side, the black empty eyes of her skull mask staring into the man's soul.

The man became increasingly nervous as the situation progressed; the way the girl stood there, menacingly, was enough to greatly intimidate him, enough so that he felt that he needed to take action quickly.

As soon as the knife began pressing into Jess's skin, a bullet entered the man's temple, killing him instantly.

Released from the impromptu hostage situation, Jess stepped calmly away and looked down at the dead man on the ground. Then, she turned her gaze over to her friend and gave a light head nod, signaling that she was pleased with Alexia's work. By this point, the two had saved each others' lives on so many occasions that they no longer considered such things as a big deal.

Seeing as they had wiped out every single biker, Jess made her way over to the middle of a semicircle of motorcycles, where a van containing the stash was parked.

 _"Hahaaa, WOOP WOOP!"_ she shouted in victory. _"This stash is OURS, baby! GIMME SOME!"_

Celebrating their successful takeover, Alexia and Jess performed a complicated secret handshake that only best friends were capable of, which ended in a gleeful thigh-bump and joyous laughter between the two.

 _"Alright, let's just see what we got,"_ said Jess. _"I can probably tell how much money we'll get from it."_

She opened the van's rear doors, revealing mounds of packaged white powder piled inside.

 _"Whooooaaa...Man, this is some premium shit! Straight Colombian, it looks like...It's...Wow, it...it...it looks pretty good, doesn't it..."_

Jess began to trail off as she stared down at the powerfully addictive drugs, reminiscing about all her past experiences.

 _"...Wow, is that...They didn't even mix anything with it, it's just pure coke. That's amazing, man...I...I thought they would-"_

Before she could continue any further, Alexia abruptly came in front of her friend, closing the doors that revealed the cocaine stash.

 _"How about I just take the van, Jess?"_ she offered. _"Can you drive behind me and make sure I'm not tailed?"_

 _"Y...yeah. Yeah, that's...that's a great idea..."_

They stared at each other for a few moments, each equally aware of what was occurring, before Alexia enveloped Jess in a warm hug. With her emotions running high, Jess gladly returned Alexia's calming embrace, which helped to assure her that everything was going to be alright.

Realizing that they could not stick around for long, the two friends separated, Jess heading to her vehicle and Alexia stepping into the cocaine-burdened van.

 _"Hey, let's keep in touch on the earpieces,"_ suggested Alexia.

The tiny matching accessories, which the two had purchased on an ammo run to Ammu-Nation, assisted in communicating on jobs that required them to perform coordinated tasks. Also, as Jess had once pointed out, the earpieces were much more stylish than the standard archaic walkie-talkies that they were used to having. While Alexia did not consider fashion a very important aspect of criminal work, she nonetheless found the hands-free communication a great asset when performing jobs with her friend.

Alexia entered the van and started the engine, accelerating out of the tunnel and out onto the beach. Jess followed close behind in one of her armored vehicles, a black Baller SUV with bulletproof tires and impressive traction capabilities, capable of running down anyone unfortunate enough to get in her way.

The girl in the van removed her mask before signaling to her friend.

"Jess, come in. Can you read me?"

 _"Loud and clear, Lexi-Lou,"_ Jess addressed her friend in one of many nicknames that she had concocted for her. _"So, uh, we taking this to Gerald, right?"_

"Mm-hmm. He told me he already has a buyer and everything set up. We should make a good buck outta this shipment."

 _"Okay, well let's not get ahead of ourselves. That's some high quality product back there, so something tells me the Lost ain't gonna let it go easily. But, uh, nonetheless I'll be right behind you if something goes awry."_

"I know you will, homie," said Alexia, smiling. "We've handled a few drugged-up goons coming after us before. We'll be fine."

Vespucci Beach had since been cleared of life, as most of its parishioners had since fled from the sound of gunfire. This made it quite easy for Alexia to drive along the perfect white sand, eventually turning onto one of the many narrow side streets that lined the northern perimeter of the beach.

This relatively-peaceful drive, however, was interrupted by a slew of bikers that spilled out of an adjacent alleyway. Most were seated on roaring metal bikes, but another of the Lost's signature black vans also manifested, blocking Jess's path so that she could not keep up with her friend.

 _"Fucking...shitfuck!"_ yelled Jess as she crashed into the side of the van.

Meanwhile, men on bikes continued to tail Alexia, dealing damage to the van with their double-barreled shotguns and micro-submachine guns. Alexia lowered herself in the drivers' seat to decrease her chances of being hit by gunfire.

 _"Agh...Y-you just keep driving, Lexi! I'll catch up!"_

After turning onto a relatively-straight road adjacent to the Vespucci canals, Alexia grabbed her AP pistol from her shirt pocket. Then, while simultaneously gripping the steering wheel, she turned around and fired several rounds at her pursuers. Her shots were messy and largely uncoordinated, all but completely missing her intended targets.

Noticing that the road came to a sudden end and that her trajectory took her straight towards a brick wall, Alexia made an abrupt left turn, narrowly avoiding hitting a terrified woman with a baby stroller.

Alexia cursed herself under her breath. While her overall shooting skill had been steadily improving since her arrival in Los Santos, her ability to shoot while driving still left much to be desired.

The bikers continued in their pursuit of the precious and valuable cargo. The vehicle was inundated by bullets directed towards the windows, the bikers hoping that a bullet would travel through the van's interior and into Alexia's skull.

Jess had still not shown up to help defend the van; she was quite possibly still being held up by the van full of bikers, irking Alexia to check on her friend's status.

"Jess!" she yelled over the sound of gunfire. "Jess, can you read me?!"

Suddenly, glass shattered behind her, and it was as if a bomb had went off beside her eardrum.

"FUCK!"

Her right ear was subjected to an intense ringing, caused by the bullet that had broken through the van's back windows and sped right past her ear, finally being stopped by the front windshield, forming an intricate crystalline shape as it became wedged in the bulletproof glass.

If the girl in the drivers' seat had positioned herself a mere two inches to the right, the bullet would surely have entered the back of her skull, resulting in a likely-mortal wound. A week ago, such an occurrence would have scared Alexia beyond belief and distracted her from the mission. However, with all the near misses she had been through as part of her newfound career path, she had learned not to dwell on such things, instead marking it up to mere luck that she did not meet death just yet.

After catching her breath, she tried once again to send out a distress call to her friend.

"...Jess, I'm feeling some serious heat over here!"

 _"Yeah, don't worry girl! I'm coming!"_

Like a charging bull, Jess's SUV crashed through a stray mail box and came careening towards the bikers.

 _"BEEP BEEP! Outta the way, asshole!"_

Before he knew what was occurring, Jess had rammed into the back of an unfortunate man's bike, sending him flying off of his precious two-wheeled vehicle. The man rolled cleanly off of Jess's windshield before his twisted, mangled body was deposited in the street.

Jess bore to the right, knocking another biker into a light post with her armored vehicle. The man's body flew off the bike and into a store window. While his helmet was successful in penetrating the glass, his head became stuck, resulting in edged shards piercing his neck and causing him to bleed out in front of the terrified store owner.

The remaining bikers tried to avoid a similar fate, swerving about Jess's vehicle and making it exceedingly difficult for her to ram them into nearby objects.

Frustrated, Jess wielded her submachine gun and shot at the men encircling her vehicle.

 _"You just focus on driving, Lexi! I'll take care of these guys!"_

Watching the scene in her rearview mirror, Alexia witnessed Jess visibly struggling with the pesky bikers, as she could not get a decent shot nor crash into their highly-maneuverable vehicles. Seeing the trouble her friend was in, Alexia felt for her AP Pistol again, intent on helping her friend.

However, before she could provide assistance from the van, Jess abruptly applied the brakes. With the bikers now positioned in front of her, Jess had ample time to shoot and kill a few who were slow to respond, then quickly accelerate to throw off the ones aware of what was occurring.

However, unbeknownst to the bikers, a sticky bomb had been planted on the pavement by Jess, which she promptly detonated as soon as the few bikes remaining passed over the specific spot on the road. What resulted from the massive explosion was a mess of charred bodies and twisted metal, by now a familiar scene to the two professional criminals.

With the pursuing bikers effectively neutralized, Alexia and Jess breathed a collective sigh of relief.

 _"Shit...You alright, Lexi?"_

"Yeah, I'm fine. Man, that...that was some excellent work back there, Jess!"

 _"Why thank you, old friend,"_ she stated proudly. _"Just be glad that I'm a diagnosed pyromaniac whose weapon of choice has always been explosives."_

"Yeahh, you sure do love your sticky bombs, Jess," said Alexia with a laugh.

 _"I use 'em whenever I can. A fiery death awaits anyone who dares to cross us two besties, amirite?!"_

"Oh you know it, girl! Air five!"

Sticking her hand out of the drivers' side window, Alexia made a jerking motion toward Jess's hand, which was also sticking out of her vehicle.

The two laughed joyously, partly a result of steadily-decreasing adrenaline and partly because of their hard-won victory, all the way to Gerald's run-down apartment complex.

He was waiting for the two girls in an alley, appearing wary of any watchful eyes that may be around him.

Alexia stepped out of the van so that she could meet with Gerald, who simply nodded at the van and the sizable, completely undamaged package in the back.

"...Aight. You cool."

With such a simple observation, he handed Alexia the cash that they had earned from the job, a full $7,000 for each girl.

Without another word, Gerald stepped in the driver's seat and sped off down the road, leaving the two women standing awkwardly in the alleyway.

Gradually, Alexia's heart rate began to decelerate as the adrenaline she often experienced during intense shootouts evaporated from her system.

"Whew..." she said, wiping sweat off her brow. "Man, that shit was kinda heavy, Jess."

"Mmm, you said it."

Suddenly, Alexia picked up a somewhat-familiar sound to her left; the sound of a lighter being struck.

She turned to see Jess, her lips puckered around a hastily-rolled marijuana cigarette, touching the flame to the tip so that its sweet, savory smoke could enter into her lungs.

Taking a large puff of the joint, Jess gave a large, happy sigh as smoke emanated from her mouth. Clouds of wispy, fog-like vapor gradually dissipated as they drifted away from the dank alleyway and into the greater Los Santos atmosphere.

Watching the smoke drift away, Jess smiled calmly before turning over to her friend. Alexia's expression, however, was not indicative of anything calm or pleasant. Instead, her countenance as she looked over her friend reflected immense hurt. The way her eyes narrowed and her pupils glimmered, it was as if Jess had betrayed her, shattering the mutual trust that they had been welding over the past week-and-a-half.

"...Lexi?" asked Jess. "What's wrong, girl?"

"Y...You promised no more drugs!" Alexia shouted at her.

"Wait, what...?"

Noticing the still-burning joint between her fingers, Jess now understood the source of Alexia's outrage.

Jess gave an innocent laugh in an attempt to calm her friend's nerves.

"Uhm, I don't really think this counts towards that, Lexi, it's just weed. I have a prescription."

"Really?"

Jess looked upwards for a moment, as Alexia had immediately picked up on her lie.

"...Okay, maybe it's forged, but so what? It's not like it's dangerous or addictive or anything. In fact, it's-it's very calming."

She took another huff of the joint, which was soon swiped from Jess's hand and stomped into the ground by Alexia, who was fuming at Jess's carelessness toward the situation.

Jess looked down at the crumpled mess of paper and marijuana leaves on the concrete, partly in shock because of Alexia's uncharacteristically aggressive behavior.

"Hey...Now, that's not cool, my friend," said Jess, glaring angrily at Alexia.

"Jess, I can't believe you...!"

Alexia was forced to step away from her friend for a moment; she was trying with every fiber of her being to contain the full extent of her anger, yet her form shuddered with every thought of how Jess so callously broke the promise that she had made to her the previous week.

"...How the fuck could you lie to me like that?" she continued. "You come into my apartment and tell me how you're a hopeless drug addict, and how you're gonna try your best to get clean-"

"I have been getting clean!" Jess retorted. "I haven't touched any blow in the past week, okay? I'm-"

"No no no no, Jess. When you talked to me all teary-eyed and emotional, you explicitly said that you were gonna get off drugs...ALL DRUGS. Well, last time I checked, WEED COUNTED AS A FUCKING DRUG!"

"Lexi, Lexi..."

Jess spoke in a much calmer tone of voice, attempting to get her infuriated friend to do the same.

"Just calm down, alright? You're turning red."

"NO, YOU FUCKING...!"

Upon realizing how her voice emanated from her throat, loud and ragged, filled with rage at her friend, she decided to turn away once again. Despite the fact that she was immensely hurt by Jess's blatant disregard of her promise, she decided to keep her mouth shut, instead letting heated emotions out in the form of silent tears.

Alexia gasped for air through the increasing lump in her throat, choking back further tears as she struggled to contain the immense hurt that she felt at the onset of Jess's actions. After she had tried so very hard to uphold her end of the deal and keep Jess away from the sinister temptation of narcotics, it seemed as if that she did not even care about the sacrifices she had had to make to ensure that Jess kept her solemn vow to Alexia.

However, as her friend, Jess immediately picked up on what Alexia was thinking; despite the fact that she was still angry with her, Jess bravely approached her friend and gave her a tight hug around her waist. Tears continued to drip onto the weather-stained concrete as Jess consoled her emotional friend.

"Lexi...I'm really sorry," she said in a soft voice. "Look, girl, I really do appreciate you caring so much about me. Really, that's so awesome of you. And I know it might seem like I'm cheating a little bit, on that promise I made to you...But Alexia, I'm smoking something that's completely harmless. I primarily just use it to forget about my other, more-harmful addictions...It helps me to relax, especially after really stressful missions like this one."

Jess gazed down at her friend, who continued crying into the fabric of her shirt.

 _"It's...it's still fucking cheating..."_

"No, it's...Well, okay, I guess in some aspects it is kinda cheating. But, if you put it in perspective...Would you rather me shoot up some heroin into my veins, or puff up a nice joint every now and then? It's a non-addictive drug, Alexia. All-natural, with none of the dangerous side effects of some of the other things I'm into."

Seeing as Jess's reasoning for smoking the joint was concrete, she wrapped her arms around her trusted friend, burying her face into her shirt. She did not possess any issue with marijuana smokers; in fact, legalization was something she was heavily in favor of before she had started her criminal career, after which she had had to become opposed because of its implications on her illicit trade.

However, all of her political positions had been set aside upon seeing her friend, who had been sworn to abstinence from all narcotic substances, partaking of the drug, which resulted in her being pushed over the edge.

 _"I'm sorry, Jess, I...I overreacted..."_

"Hey, no harm done," said Jess, stroking Alexia's hair. "Look, we've all had a rough day. How's about we go back to your place and chillax for a bit?"

If there was one thing that Jess was good at, it was calming Alexia during one of her many bouts of nervousness and anxiety. Since she knew her friend so well, she possessed no trouble at all in offering encouraging words and urging her friend to simmer down after an episode, and that was what made her such a trusted and loyal friend to Alexia.

Looking up at her friend, Alexia attempted a smile and nodded her head in favor of Jess's proposal. Jess gave her a tight hug in return before escorting Alexia to her bullet-riddled but still functional SUV.

"Aw man, this is great!" she exclaimed. "We get to spend the whole rest of the day, just hanging out! Watching TV, eating junk food, all the stuff I wish I could've done as a kid at sleepovers! Er...y'know, I'm just assuming that's what prepubescent girls did...Aw, what am I saying, we're not little girls anymore, we're adult women! We can drink champagne, and watch _dirty_ movies if we want! We can even...!"

Jess paused, as if she had suddenly experienced a massive epiphany.

"Hey...You haven't smoked that bong in your house yet, have you?"

Alexia hesitated at first, then shook her head no. Jess's face, meanwhile, possessed a slightly-devious grin, suggesting that she had come up with the perfect activity for them to partake in.

In a flash, Jess quickly whisked Alexia away to her car, shutting the passenger-side door for her.

"Jess, I've told you I'm not into drugs," said Alexia as she wiped excess moisture from her eyes.

"Cah'mahn, Alexia! Remember at Bahama Mamas, I got you try to try that alcoholic drink. Well, this is even safer than that! It doesn't make you feel nauseous or give you weird hallucinations, it just...relaxes you. Then after a few hours, it wears off, and everything's alright. No drama."

Noticing that Alexia's countenance still bore skepticism, Jess sighed, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Look, all I'm asking is that you give it a chance, alright? I'm telling you this as a friend because...well, you've seen how anxious and hysterical I can get sometimes. I'm not gonna lie, mentally I've...kinda got some issues, Alexia. But whenever I'm like that, I just like to take a hit 'cause it really helps calm me down. So, theoretically...Maybe it can help you with your anxiety as well. And if you don't like it, there's no risk of addiction, so you never have to do it again."

Looking up at her friend, Alexia noticed Jess making big, dramatic puppy-dog eyes in an effort to convince her friend. Her lip trembled, and her sky-blue eyes glistened in the sunlight as she leaned in slightly closer. High-pitched whimpering noises accompanied her faux sadness, exacerbating the effect on her friend.

"Agh, alright alright already!"

Alexia stopped Jess's advance by holding a finger across her lips.

"...I'll have one hit...But that's it."

Jess nodded, grinning brightly.

"THAT'S IT," she said more forcefully.

"I hear you, girl, that's totally cool."

Jess started the engine, shifting her car into Drive.

"...And if I don't like it, I-I'm not doing it again."

"That's fine by me...Honestly, I'm just glad that my puppy-dog eyes worked on you. They have no effect on most people, not even Damien."

Without warning, Jess accelerated at breakneck speed out of the alleyway, cutting off at least 3 vehicles and causing them to crash head-on into each other.

"Hey, watch the road, will ya'!" shouted Jess, who proceeded to shake her fist disapprovingly. "Yeesh, the nerve of some people."

Alexia, meanwhile, sat petrified in the passenger seat, questioning her friend's ability to drive safely while under the effects of the joint she had smoked.

* * *

Upon her comfortable luxury sofa, Alexia sat in utmost discomfort, watching as Jess prepared the apparatus that she was to smoke. Jess first filled the bong partway with water, then meticulously broke up the herbs that were going to be smoked by herself and her cautious friend.

The manner in which Jess performed this task was indicative that she was very experienced in the art of smoking; she placed each tiny clump of marijuana into the bowl, smiling giddily the whole time in preparation for what was to occur.

Alexia, meanwhile, grew ever more nervous, thinking of worst-case scenarios in which federal agents would bust in and apprehend the two affluent criminals while they were rendered incapable by THC and euphoria.

"Aaand that should do it," proclaimed Jess. "You ready, Lex?"

"I...I dunno about this Jess..." said Alexia, slinking back nervously in her seat.

"Lexi! I know you've never tried this before, but try to lighten up. New experiences, after all, are what make life so fun!"

Seeing as her friend still was not convinced, Jess sighed and took the pearlescent-colored bong in her hands.

"Here, I'll take the first hit. Just to show you that it's safe."

Pressing the chamber to her lips, Jess promptly struck her lighter and touched it to the tip of the bowl that protruded from the bong's main chamber.

In time, the meager amount of water inside began to bubble vigorously, and smoke rose up through the chamber to be inhaled through Jess's mouth.

After taking a hit of the powerful smoke, Jess set the bong back down on the table. Soon afterwards, a series of coughs shook her form as she attempted to clear the smoke from her lungs.

 _"Aw man...This is some GOOD weed!"_ her strained voice interjected between spells of wheezy coughing. _"I-I mean, it's a little strong, but it's got excellent texture and flavor to it-"_

Jess covered her mouth as more powerful barking coughs wracked her body, clearing the large amount of marijuana smoke that she had taken into her airways.

Afterwards, Jess took a deep breath; she was not expecting the hit to be so strong, but she was nonetheless pleased that its effects were already starting to take hold, blurring her vision and giving her a pleasant sense of euphoria.

"Whew...Okay, your turn."

"Uhm, was that supposed to show me that it's safe?"

Alexia sat nervously on the couch, heavily concerned about the substance that had caused her friend's violent coughing fit.

"No, no it's fine, Lexi," she said in between smaller subsequent coughs. "Y-you know how I overreact sometimes...Just come on, give it a try."

Alexia stared down at the apparatus before her on the table, gleaming in the overhead lights of her spacious living room. Her face was reflected on its shiny surface, as if the inanimate object was somehow tempting her to try the mind-altering drug within its chambers.

Despite it giving off such an evil personage as a first impression, Alexia reasoned that perhaps Jess was right. In order to fully enjoy life, new experiences must be undertaken, new sights should be seen, new friends should be made. That is, after all, what she had been doing all along for the past week, leaving her rural home and traveling to the big city for the first time in her life. And with her loyal friend Jessamine by her side, this completely new direction in her life was made all the more bearable.

Before she could overthink the task and wimp out (which she knew Jess would tease her for), Alexia grabbed hold of the bong and held the lighter up to its beckoning bowl. In no time at all, smoke rose up through the chamber, leaving an ill-prepared Alexia to receive its blessed gift to her.

She inhaled, yet soon afterwards she too was subjected to coughing as the high intensity smoke entered her lungs, blocking off the flow of oxygen and raising her anxiety substantially.

 _"Wh...what the fuck, Jess! What was that?!"_

Alexia began to feel lightheaded as the drug's effects took hold and she continued to cough violently; she felt uneasy, in stark contrast to Jess's promise that smoking marijuana was to relax her.

 _"I don't...Oh God, m-my throat! I can't feel it! I-it's gone numb!...Help me...Help...Jessamine..."_

Collapsing onto her side, a frightened Alexia reached a hand out to her friend, hoping that she would know how to make the effects subside.

"Nooo, Lexi, you're fine..." said Jess in a lazy relaxed tone of voice, giggling as she saw her friend fighting desperately against the drug's effects. "Ya' just gotta go with the flow, girlfriend. Let it console you, envelop you in its soft embrace..."

Strangely, Jess's voice began to grow ever more ambient as she continued speaking, as if the luxury apartment they were in was transforming into a vast echoing cavern.

 _"Just go with the flow..."_

* * *

These words resonated within Alexia's head, even as Jess inexplicably turned into a puddle of bright purple liquid before her eyes. The puddle that constituted Jess was then swept into a raging rapid that had formed suddenly on the living room floor, sweeping her into the current.

Immensely frightened by what she had just witnessed, Alexia stuck out a hand, only to suddenly marvel at how such an action appeared before her eyes. When her hand or any other appendage was moved to quickly, the frame rate of this new dimension seemed to slow considerably, resulting in mirror images of her hand as it reached outwards. Waving it back in forth resulted in frightening triple vision for the confused girl, forcing her to look away.

The other realms of this new dimension she had entered did not much offer much in the way of normality. Bright translucent colors pervaded every single microscopic corner, and flowers and animals suddenly grazed within the confines of her living room. Flocks of migratory birds filled the skies where her ceiling used to be, before burning up and dropping to the Earth as they ventured too close to the Sun.

So much for 'no weird hallucinations'.

Despite the oblique strangeness of this realm, she was nonetheless filled with a desire to save her friend from becoming irretrievable amongst the billions upon billions of purple molecules that constituted its raging channels.

She stumbled forward in an attempt to follow the current, yet in her delirious state she could take no more than a few steps before falling into a patch of dandelions, which spread seedlings of dancing and giggling sprites about the land as she disturbed them. Alexia attempted to claw her way forward, across grass that she could very much feel, before her path was blocked by one of the pasture's roaming animals.

Meeting the wild boar's gaze, Alexia was forced to look into all three of its eyes, which all blinked at separate times. The beast stared down at the helpless girl on the ground, breathing out glistening smoke particles and wriggling its tusks at the intruder.

 _"...Can you...can you show me the way to Salvation?"_

She was not sure whether or not she had said these words aloud, yet they nonetheless echoed across the landscape, traveling along a light breeze that had accumulated since the pig had come across her path.

The creature inexplicably nodded towards Alexia's request, turning his backside to her and signaling for her to get on. Alexia obliged, steadying herself in the grass before mounting the beast and holding on tightly to its neck. She could smell the wild scent of the boar, hear its heavy, labored breathing, feel its rough carpet-like fur against her cheek.

Once the girl was securely on his back, the boar's third and center-most eye became a beacon of white light, shooting out a high-velocity beam that spread infinitely across the land. Then, the boar started to run, following the direction that the beacon pointed, accelerating at such an insanely fast speed that the two eventually warped across the space-time continuum and into interstellar hyperspace.

Alexia struggled to hold onto the boar's neck as they transcended the dimensional plane. The pig's legs had since disappeared entirely, being replaced instead by steel wings and fuming rocket boosters. Stars and galaxies passed them by, entire universes were crossed over in mere microseconds.

In the distance, Alexia could see something, the eventual endpoint of this chaotic journey that the eternal beacon pointed towards. There, in the distance, was a black hole, expanding at an increasing rate across the cosmos, threatening to envelop the two as the bull progressed.

Staring into the vacuum of the cosmic beast, Alexia became frightened as she witnessed various images from her life, starting with her earliest known memories from her days as a toddler, and ending with the many memories she had already made in Los Santos with her newfound career path and her trusted best friend.

Through Alexia's dilated pupils, these images were reflected until they became a part of the multiverse, and she was thrust into the black abyss, knowing that no matter could escape its beckoning hole.

* * *

Meanwhile, in reality, Alexia lie on the couch, not moving and hardly even blinking. Every now and then, her eyes would flutter and she would mumble something incoherent toward the Celestial Pig, but she mostly lay there motionless, astounded by what she perceived she was going through.

Jess, who had retained her solid form despite Alexia's visions, simply laughed at her lightweight friend. She fondly remembered her first time smoking marijuana, shortly after she had joined the Skulls at the age of 19, and remembered how it created such vivid hallucinations because of her lack of tolerance toward it.

While she had to admit that it was a rather-potent strain of marijuana, she was nonetheless thankful that she had not goaded Alexia to take more than one hit, fearing that she could not handle such high THC levels just yet. The more-experienced Jessamine, however, decided to indulge in a second hit of the bong, savoring its sweet flavor as it entered her airways.

* * *

 ** _A FEW MOMENTS LATER.._** ** _._**

The two friends lied side by side on the spacious luxury sofa, watching the apartment's ceiling fan as it spun in countless concentric circles above them. Such minor things were suddenly of great interest to the two women, who had inhaled enough of the mind-altering substance to feel a great deal of comfort. The hallucinations had since subsided, replaced instead by warm, joyous euphoria, the likes of which Alexia had never experienced before.

Alexia's widescreen TV remained on, despite the fact that neither of them were watching what was on. "Wheels of Confusion" by Black Sabbath played over Alexia's portable radio.

"Y'know, I'm..." Jess broke the silence between them. "...I-I'm beginning to think that...there was somethin' else in that weed. I...I just can't quite put my finger on it..."

Jess gave a puzzled look up at the ceiling, twirling one of her many locks of blonde hair between her fingers. Alexia too became puzzled, scooching closer to her friend.

"...How would you...How would you put your finger on it?" she asked, in what was more of a whisper than a full conversational voice.

"...I'm talking about my mind's finger, man...The manifestation of all that is human thought, in a more existential form of reasoning."

Alexia began to laugh at Jess's musings, coming out as light wheezing noises.

"Dude, are those even the right words for it?"

"Pssh, I dunno, Lexi...I didn't go to _college,_ with all those dweebs. Yeah, enjoy your crippling debt that you'll never pay off, losers. I'm makin' my own living, and doing it damn well if you ask me."

"Yeahh, I...I didn't go to college either...But, um, on the subject of existentialism...have you ever wondered just how much of the world is...well, real? Like, the only thing that we can verify with unwavering certainty is our very own existence...and nothing else. Everything else in the universe could be a mirage for all we know, and we would never...Oh wait, that's Solipsism, isn't it? FUCK, this stuff makes me so dumb, man!"

"W-wait wait wait wait, hold up..."

Jess sat up in her seat, an astounded look spread across her face.

"...So you're telling me that...only I exist?"

"Well...yeah, that's how the theory goes...Beyond all reasonable doubt, that's the only thing that we can be resolutely sure of."

"But...You're talking to me right now!...Th-that sounds like a pretty big hole in that theory."

"No. In fact, it's another tenet of the philosophy...Tell me, have you heard of 'brain in a vat'?"

"My brain in a WHAT?!" she shouted, frightened by such a prospect.

Alexia, meanwhile, giggled at her friend's frightened expression through her reddened eyes.

"It's, uh, kind of a thing meant to question our beliefs on consciousness and reasoning...For all we know, aliens could have abducted us all and placed our brains in giant vats, stimulating our motor neurons and using, like, a supercomputer to provide a virtual reality, identical to what we as humans perceive as reality...I-it's a real weird thing."

"Yeah, and it's really messing with my head!" said Jess, vigorously rubbing her temples. "Y-you better fucking STOP IT!"

Alexia covered her mouth as heavy, wheezing laughs escaped from her lips.

"Alright...alright, I'm sorry, Jess...And I promise you, I do surely exist. You don't have to worry."

"Okay...I-I exist too, just so you know...Just not in the way my parents wanted me to..."

Jess gave a heavy sigh, lying down with her head next to Alexia's. She could tell that she wanted to blow off steam, and even in her translucent state she was more than willing to listen.

"...Y'know, I haven't even spoken to them in, like...10 years now."

"Wow...Do they think that...you're still incarcerated?"

"No, they think I'm dead...Isn't it great?"

Jess laughed, stretching her limbs out on the couch.

"They think I died when the Skulls broke into the mental health facility, I was...caught in the crossfire or something...Not like they cared or anything, they never came to visit or sent me anything while I was inside...B-but y'know what, y'know what, I don't need them! I-I'm my own person now! I make my _own_ decisions, live my _own_ life, and I am NOT their cash cow anymore, so there is not a DAMN THING they can do to control me!"

"Good for you, man!" Alexia lauded her friend. "Th-that is a really awesome accomplishment, cuz...y'know, I'm still having a lot of trouble...uh..."

Alexia paused, suddenly at a loss for further words to communicate with.

"Erm...I'm-I'm still having trouble, uh...Uhm...Agh, fuck, what's the thing I'm looking for here?"

"Letting go of the past?" suggested Jess.

"Y-yeah, yeah that's it. That's, uh, really...i-it still haunts me, to say the least. I mean, I have a new life here, where no one knows how I was back in the Midwest...but, y'know, still-"

"Lexi, you don't need to worry about all that stuff...I-I didn't judge you after you told me what happened back then. That was, like, years ago, man."

Alexia smiled at her trusted friend.

"Well, of course you don't. You're super awesome and nice."

"Aww, pssh!" Jess generously brushed off Alexia's compliment, giving a light wave of the hand.

"N-no, man, I'm serious...You're, like, one of the nicest people that I've ever met in my whole life!"

"Now that can't be true...I'm just lowlife criminal scum duking it out on the streets of L.S., killing and maiming...I'd say that...that effectively stops me from being nice and benevolent."

"I'm not talkin' about how you are to our enemies...I'm talkin' about you, me, Damien, a-and the rest of the crew. You're like a saint to people, as long as they're not shooting at you or antagonizing you in any way. A-and you know what, you were right about the marijuana thing, it did help calm me down a lot...But you only suggested such a thing because you were concerned about my well-being, and that is fricken awesome of you."

"Awwh, stop," she said, blushing somewhat.

"No I won't, cuz I mean it...They should put you alongside Mother Teresa, Gandhi, and all those other awesome people throughout history! You are, like, a...a divine saint, my friend."

Alexia's praising of her friend was interrupted by a loud animal-like growl, emanating from the pit of Jess's stomach.

"...Would a divine saint be afflicted with such a serious case of the munchies?"

She asked this somewhat seriously, cocking her head to the side and looking curiously at Alexia.

"...I guess they do now," said Alexia, smiling sheepishly.

Beaming from ear to ear, Jess pinched Alexia's cheek playfully.

"You're too much, you know that?...Hold up, you big flatterer, I gotta steal some of your potato chips real quick."

Jess arose from the couch, managing to stumble across the living room and into Alexia's kitchen, where she came across the pantry that housed an entire plethora of junk food, from candy and sugary treats to salted potato chips and crackers. Alexia did not partake much in junk food, so she was more than happy to allow Jess to consume these as much as she pleased.

In time, Alexia too stood up, shaking her head in an attempt to see the world a little bit clearer. As she traversed her living space, she found herself bumping into low-lying objects. As her vision adjusted to the room around her, she had to guide herself around her own home as if she had been stricken blind, feeling around for objects as she walked.

"...H-hey, Jess?"

"Yeah?" she answered, before engulfing an entire fistful of potato chips.

"I-I just...I wanna show you something real quick, if you don't mind. It's downstairs."

"Uhh, okay. Sure."

Leading the way, Alexia managed to make her way down the small staircase that led to her bedroom area. Jess followed close behind, leaving a trail of potato chip crumbs as she descended the stairs and entered Alexia's personal abode.

The space, which had been mostly empty and bland just a week prior, now had a distinct tinge of Alexia's personality. A small bookcase sat by her bedside, ready to provide her with literary material that she would partake in shortly before retiring for the night. Plastered onto the walls were a whole host of heavy metal and glam rock bands that Alexia had adored since childhood. Her walk-in closet also had been remodeled, as it was now filled with outfits that Alexia had bought at a nearby discount store. T-shirts, jeans, and leather jackets or hoodies made up the bulk of her clothing, but this rather-boyish selection was interspersed with a few nice frilly dresses that she admittedly loved to wear around.

"I've been remodeling a bit over the past week...I couldn't bring a lot of stuff with me when I fled South Yankton, so most of it I bought recently."

"Ooh..." exclaimed Jess. "Nice job, Lexi! This is quite an impressive space you got."

"Why thank you. It's just like my room at home, only about 10 times bigger. Like, look over here..."

Alexia scurried over to a corner of her room to demonstrate to Jess a secret compartment, hidden below her bed.

"Ch-check this out, dude, you're gonna love this..."

To Jess's astonishment, Alexia produced an entire gun rack from underneath her bed, stocked with all of her rifles, submachine guns, and pistols that she now owned, either through purchasing them directly or taking them from the dead bodies of her foes.

"Whoaaa..." said Jess, staring down at the veritable treasure trove of firearms.

Alexia smiled brightly, extremely pleased that Jess was so impressed.

"Wh-why do you keep it under your bed?"asked Jess. "Like...just for emergencies?"

"Yeah, exactly. I gotta be prepared at all times."

"Yeah, yeah that's true..."

Jess turned towards another corner of the room, while Alexia became lost in her sizable gun collection.

"Aw man, I-I remember how I got this gun right here. You remember that Baller we jacked a few days ago? Well, soon as we finished all the guys, I kinda went around surveying the scene, and this guy...he had a signature, deluxe-liveried, Combat MG rifle. Like, quite an accomplishment for a Ballas gang member. He must've been-"

"Oh my God..."

Hearing the sounds of hearty laughter behind her, Alexia turned around, confused as to what Jess found so funny in her room.

Glancing behind her friend, she came to notice that her top dresser drawer had been opened.

"Alexia..." Jess wheezed, struggling to contain herself through her laughter. "Is...is this yours?"

In her outstretched hand, Jess held out one of Alexia's bras, which she was holding by one of its shoulder straps. As she clenched the charcoal-colored undergarment in her fist, Jess could barely breathe through her laughter, hunching over due to the pain in her abdomen.

"O-oh my God, it's...it's SO CUTE! I-I don't think I've ever seen one this small before! I love it!" exclaimed Jess, even going as far as to rub the bra against her cheek affectionately.

Alexia grimaced; she was not very comfortable with the fact that she was an adult woman who still had to wear training bras, but she was even more uncomfortable with the fact that Jess had shamelessly just rummaged through her underwear drawer.

Storing her chest of guns back under her bed, Alexia made her way over to her friend, attempting to retrieve her stolen delicates.

"H-hey, come on, man!...Gi...Give it back!"

Despite Alexia's attempts to jump up and reach, Jess held the garment high above her head, rendering it impossible for the much-shorter girl to retrieve it. Meanwhile, her laughter became even more intense, resulting in tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"What the hell!...Y-you don't just go rummaging through peoples' drawers like that!" scolded Alexia. "It's poor guest etiquette!"

"Yeahh, you REALLY shouldn't see the inside of mine. I..."

Wheezing once again with laughter, Jess wiped some of the many tears from her eyes.

"I-I have some really...well, you're really better off not seeing what I keep for my own, uh...entertainment, if you will."

Thoroughly disgusted by what Jess was referring to, an embarrassed and red-faced Alexia resolved to obtain her stolen underclothes through another means, one which would surely result in an end to Jess's manic tirade and a retrieval of her private personal belongings.

"Grr, GIVE IT...BACK!"

Alexia jumped and clung onto Jess's shoulders; taken by surprise, the taller woman stumbled backwards before her legs bumped into the edge of Alexia's bed. With a startled scream, Jess toppled backwards onto the bed, taking her smaller friend with her.

When the perpetual dust cleared, Alexia found herself lying on top of Jess, her head pressed against her chest and her legs straddling her waist. She was close enough to her friend that she could hear her heavy breathing, the result of her trying to catch her breath after such heavy laughter.

Alexia sat up, lifting her head off of her friend's chest. They stared at each other for an uncomfortably long time; the air between them was now completely still, compared to the raucous laughter and shouting that had been the case just a few moments ago. She noticed that Jess even appeared to be lightly blushing, glancing away from Alexia every now and then now that she was the one stricken with embarrassment.

While she did not know what was causing such a reaction from Jess, Alexia snickered, then bust out into heavy laughter on top of her friend. The ridiculousness of what had just occurred, coupled with ongoing jokes about the friends' intimacy, led to a situation that Alexia could not help but laugh. In turn, Jess too began to laugh, once again filling the air with the warm interactions of two close friends.

Once the laughter had subsided, Alexia made her way off of her friend, instead opting to lie down beside her on her comfy mattress.

"I...I'm sorry about that, Lexi...I didn't mean anything by that, by the way, I wasn't making fun of your breast size. In fact...having smaller boobs, i-it kinda seems like a lot less work to me, so I'd actually prefer it."

"Yeahh, it's okay, Jess," she said, wrapping an arm around Jess's waist. "Just, um...respect peoples' privacy, alright? I know we're good friends and all, but-"

"Oh, don't worry. Once this high wears off, I will be much better at making decisions. I'll reflect on this little incident, and I'll learn from it...It's the way the world goes..."

Stretching her legs out on the bed, Jess lightly yawned, wrapping a supportive arm around Alexia's shoulders.

One thing that she noticed about the marijuana high was that it made one extremely tired, especially a few hours after consumption. Perhaps this was the reason regular users of marijuana were so lazy and seen as a scourge on society, as the fatigue that it caused her left her completely unable to move from Jess's warm, comforting embrace.

With her friend resting under the crook of Jess's arm and despite it only being around 3 PM, Alexia allowed herself to drift off into a peaceful sleep, hoping that the euphoria and overall weirdness of her high would be gone by morning.


	17. The Ballad of Jessamine

**Happy belated 2017, everyone. I hope everyone has had a great holiday season. The 7th Element has fulfilled his resolution, cooking up another one of these chapters before he has to return to school tomorrow.**

 **I would give a brief summary of the chapter but honestly, that would probably reveal too much. It's...interesting, to say the least. A smidgeon shorter than what I usually write, but I believe all you dudes and dudettes will like it. It takes a break from GTA-themed madness to focus more on...internal madness, if that makes sense. You'll just have to see.**

 **And as usual, like/favorite this story for a chance to win your very own Pikachu. That's right, seconds after liking this story, a wild Pikachu will appear in front of your house, ready to travel with you across the land and help you to become the ultimate Pokemon Master. And that's pretty fucking badass, so I would suggest clicking like.**

 **Regardless if you're a Pokemon fan or not though, please enjoy the fruit of my ill-conceived labors.**

* * *

Alexia awoke from her deep slumber enveloped in a layer of protective warmth that made her feel quite cozy, like a small animal wrapped in its mother's protective embrace. In the darkness, she did not know who or what was providing her this generous gift of nocturnal heat. She could tell that this level of comfort far exceeded the capabilities of her standard cocoon of blankets; in fact, no blankets were even present on her body, nor on the mysterious person that she felt sleeping soundly beside her.

Initially stricken with panic at the sight of someone else in her bed, Alexia soon came to reflect upon what had happened before she fell asleep. She remembered her and Jess in a haze of delusion and slight paranoia after smoking such a vicious strain of marijuana. She also remembered how they had fallen asleep wrapped affectionately in each other's arms like only good friends or family would be comfortable enough to do.

From what she could tell, the two had mostly retained the same position throughout their long sleep. One of Jess's arms was wrapped snugly around Alexia's waist, but her other hand was quite curiously positioned on top of her thigh, her fingers spread firmly across its surface.

Alexia gently moved Jess's hand off of her, which caused her to stir. With a snort, she rolled over onto her back.

Without making a noise, Alexia rolled out of bed. A glance toward her window revealed a mosaic of black interspersed with glowing skyscrapers, confirming that the Sun had not yet risen. Her nearby alarm clock corroborated with its issuance of the time; 4:02 A.M.

Seeing as she had slept for over 13 hours, Alexia stretched her muscles before turning back to Jess, who remained dead-to-the-world asleep. Her friend snored as loud as a locomotive as she slumbered; a light film of drool issued from the corner of her lips and onto Alexia's pillow and blankets.

Staring down at her friend, completely unconscious and sprawled out lazily on her bed, Alexia couldn't help but give a silent laugh. Usually, Jess appeared so capable and experienced in her eyes that seeing her in such a vulnerable position came as quite humorous to her. But, she figured she should allow her friend to rest and not snap any embarrassing pictures of her asleep (which she was sure Jess would have done in this situation). In fact, she wished to offer her a nice surprise upon waking, one which she was sure that her oft-hungry friend could not turn down.

Silently making her way upstairs, Alexia gathered all the supplies that she would need: a dozen strips of bacon, eggs, and a large tub of butter, among other things, to prepare for Jess the perfect breakfast-in-bed for such a perfect best friend.

Scrambling the eggs and cooking the bacon in a frying pan on her stove, Alexia went to work on preparing the meal for Jess. It could even be inferred that she was very much like a housewife, cooking breakfast for her spouse because she was so eager to please them. Alexia, however, resented such accusations, as it implied that her and Jess were any more than very good friends. Come on, couldn't two females develop a close but perfectly healthy symbiotic relationship without being subjected to these stupid jokes? The whole thing made her so angry that she could just -

She stopped when she noticed how furiously she was scrambling the eggs in the bowl: she had mixed them with such force that chunks of egg mixture had escaped from the bowl, spilling onto her kitchen floor. Before she could make any further mess of her luxury apartment, Alexia put the eggs in a pan to cook before gathering towels to clean up the spilled eggs.

After about half an hour, the meal was done, complete with buttered toast and a glass of orange juice. She had also taken the liberty to make a plate for herself so that they could eat peacefully together, in the comfort of her spacious bedroom.

She could not wait to see Jess's excitement at witnessing the food that she had cooked for her. Knowing what a heavy eater she normally was, she knew that the meal would not go to waste.

Making her way downstairs with two plates of hot steaming breakfast items, Alexia came to realize that the bed where Jess had been lying had since been vacated, leaving a mess of white blankets where her friend once was. However, even though Jess was now awake, she was nowhere to be found in Alexia's bedroom. Confused by this strange disappearance, she set the breakfast down on the table so that she could search for her.

A search of the walk-in closet turned up no trace of her, but Alexia soon came to notice that the bathroom light had been turned on, with the door closed and locked from within.

Normally, Alexia would not think much of her friend being in the restroom, except that she could also hear the sounds of heavy vomiting through the door. Greatly concerned by this point, Alexia gently knocked on the door.

"Jess?" she called. "A-are you alright?"

 _"Lex...I-"_

Consecutive rounds of vomiting interrupted Jess's attempt at coherent speech. An increasingly worried Alexia could hear Jess gasping desperately for breath in between rounds of retching and coughing.

Alexia thought of breaking down the door, but before she could devise a means of doing so, Jess emerged from the bathroom. She was sweating profusely, with dark circles around her eyes and clammy white skin. What appeared to be vomit, interspersed with a few droplets of blood, stained her sweat-soaked shirt.

She stared up at Jess, terrified at the sight of her in such a state. Jess aimed to ease her friend's concerns, raising a solitary finger to interject. However, soon afterwards her knees buckled, dropping to the floor with a resounding thud.

"Jess!"

Alexia immediately knelt on the floor beside her friend, cradling her head in her arms.

Despite hitting her head on the hardwood floor when she fell, Jess retained consciousness and attempted to communicate with her friend.

"I...Lex, it's..." she struggled to pronounce the words through fast, raspy breathing.

"What is it, Jess? What's wrong?!" Alexia demanded in a terrified shout.

Feeling of her forehead, Alexia could feel some of the immense heat radiating from her friend.

"You're running a really high fever...I'm gonna take you to the compound, alright? They can probably give you some flu med-"

"No...no, I'm-I'm not...sick..." Jess groaned through the pain she was feeling in her abdomen. "I just...feel like I am..."

"Jess, you're not making much sense!"

"I...I-I mean I just..."

Banging her fist down in frustration, she managed to partially sit up on the floor.

"I just can't take anymore, Lexi! It's killing me, I-I can feel it!"

"What is?!" she shouted at Jess.

"The...the drugs, Lexi, okay?! I-I just can't keep doing this!"

"Yes you can, Jess! Y-you have to!"

"No, I...Y-you wouldn't understand, Lexi, you're not addicted!...Last night, when I felt that amazing high, I...I just remembered how great it was. But then I woke up this morning and it...it feels like my insides are being twisted inside out!"

She cried out in pain, holding her stomach and recoiling onto her back.

Alexia noticed that Jess's hands were now visibly spasming, and her overall state continued to deteriorate.

"Oh God...Just...One last hit, Lexi! Please, one last hit and I'll be done forever!"

"No, Jess! Fight it! I'm not gonna let you get more drugs!"

"C'moooon, all I need is just one teeeeensy tiny little..."

Suddenly, Jess's muscles halted their frantic spasming; she perked up, appearing to be staring at something off in the distance.

"H-hey, do you uh...Are you feeling that, Lex?"

"...Feeling what, Jess?"

"I-I dunno, it's...it's like..."

Her breathing became heavy, and her hands resumed their violent shaking.

"Oh God, Lexi, I...I can't breathe! I-It's closing in on me fast, I-I need some air!"

Despite the fact that, just a few minutes ago, she had been much too weak to even stand, Jess bounced upwards from the floor and started to head upstairs.

Realizing what Jess was going to do once she exited the apartment, Alexia leaped upward and ran toward her. With the agility of a cheetah, Alexia quickly tackled her friend and sent her spilling onto the ground. While she knew that Jess's strength greatly outmatched hers, she was smart enough to know to go for her legs to effectively take her down and restrain her on the floor.

With her friend effectively grounded, Alexia continued to hold on tightly to Jess's legs, despite her frantic attempts to kick and pry her way out of Alexia's grasp.

"Grr, get OFF ME, GODDAMMIT!"

"I promised that I would help you to stay clean, Jess! I'm not gonna let you screw up all the progress that you've made!"

 _"Lexi..."_

Jess's nostrils flared; the menacing glare she directed toward Alexia indicated no less than fuming rage.

"I'm going out, and I'm gonna get some crack. I don't wanna have to hit you or anything."

"...Hit me all you want, I'm not letting go."

Alexia's stubbornness and the way she continued to hold her legs sent Jess into a frenzy; she tried a few more times to kick and squirm out of her friend's iron grip, before readying her fist to strike her best friend.

She continued her desperate hold on Jess, clenching her eyes shut and bracing herself for impact. She was determined to help her maintain her promise, even if it meant bodily harm would come to her. This, of course, was a testament to how much she loved Jessamine as a dear friend that she cherished like a family member, the big sister that she had never had. Accordingly, she would would take any measures necessary to protect them, especially from their own destructive tendencies.

Jess's fist remained frozen in air, looking down at Alexia. The intensity with which she held on, coupled with her readiness to be struck by multiple blows all for her sake, snapped Jess out of her maniacal state.

 _"...What the hell am I doing...?"_

Looking upwards whilst retaining her grip, Alexia met Jess's eyes, which had since watered over with fresh tears.

Realizing what she could have potentially done, Jess felt an acidic shot of guilt in her stomach, which only compounded the emotions and caused her to lose all sense of composure. Luckily, Alexia was right beside her to wrap her in a comforting embrace.

Jess gasped for breath through sobs that wracked her body, expressing a most sorrowful remorse for what she could potentially have done.

 _"I...I'm so sorry, Alexia..."_ she choked through her tears.

"Hey, hey..." said Alexia, patting her friend's back. "It's not your fault, Jess. Don't worry about it."

 _"Yes it is!...I...I'm a putrid sack of shit, I really am..."_

"No you're not..."

She took Jess's face in her hands, her gaze retaining that of undying loyalty to her.

"...You're my friend, Jess. And nothing will ever change that...Which is why I'm gonna assist in any way I can in getting you the help you need."

 _"Help? Wha...what are you...?"_

"You'll see...C'mon, follow me, Jess."

With this promise, Alexia rose from the floor, grabbing Jess's arm and helping her up as well. The two then traversed through Alexia's apartment, up the stairs and through the front door, until they came to the elevator that led down to the space's communal garage. Jess continued to hold onto Alexia's hand tightly, despite her persistent confusion as to what she meant by 'helping' her.

Alexia stepped into her blood-red Oracle, her first and only personal vehicle stored in the garage, Jess following close behind.

 _"Wh...where are we going?"_ Jess asked in a meek voice, like that of a small frightened child.

"Well, Jess, our goal is to break you of your addiction. Now normally, this is a task handled by medical professionals and people on commercials. But, since we're wanted criminals and can't peruse these resources, I figure that our best shot is talking to the medical professionals at the compound, see what they think we should do."

 _"Okay, I...I guess that's..."_

Jess stopped mid-sentence, feeling her stomach lurching over, before violently retching onto the floor of Alexia's car.

She looked shamefully down at the floor and the mess she had created.

 _"...Sorry."_

"Uhm, it's good, Jess. Th-that can be cleaned up," said Alexia, trying her best to not cause Jess any more grief or stress.

She started the attention, then started to accelerate out of the garage.

As the automatic door opened to allow the car outside, Alexia glanced over to her friend, who looked even more pale and sick in the sunlight that filtered through her windshield. Uncertainty and guilt suffocated her usual happy demeanor, leaving her looking at the floor in shame.

Alexia instinctively put her free arm around Jess's shoulder, irking a glance in her direction.

"Jess..." she started. "Don't worry. We're gonna get you better, no matter what it takes...I'll handle all the logistics and such. I just need you to remain cool."

 _"Okay, okay...cool..."_

"Cool as a cucumber. You can do this."

 _"Yeah...yeah, I can do this...I'm cool..."_

* * *

"NO! No, I'm not a cucumber! I-I mean, I'm not cool - LEMME OUTTA HERE, MAN!"

Jess struggled as two nurses attempted to hold her down on a hospital bed. Her violent thrashes and convulsions proved a great difficulty to the medical staff, who were forced to restrain Jess's hands to the bed's guardrails. These, however, barely managed to hold the hysterical girl whose withdrawal-fueled paranoia refused to let her keep calm.

Alexia and a clinic doctor stood a few feet away from the somewhat-pitiful scene unfolding.

"Well, from what I can gather," said the relatively young, brown-haired doctor. "It appears that your friend is suffering a severe nervous breakdown, most likely exacerbated by her withdrawal from addictive substances."

"Yeah, that much I knew...You were saying, though, that this isn't the first time she's been here for something like this. What all have you treated her for in the past?"

"Mostly, it's been battlefield injuries - bullet wounds, shrapnel and the like. But on occasion, her bipolar disorder does cause some serious issues for her."

"Bipolar disorder?"

Alexia looked curiously at the doctor, who had told her something that Jess had never revealed to her.

"Yes, and mild schizophrenia. This leads to the occasional mental breakdown - paranoia, talking to inanimate objects - which we can easily treat her for. This, though, this...is a bit more complicated of a situation."

"Yeah...So, uh, what do you think we should do?"

"Well, I...I don't quite know," the doctor admitted. "Obviously, Jessamine needs to rid herself of her addictions to get better, but...I've never dealt with a Black Skull who wanted to get _off_ drugs before. Most are content to just keep smoking until they expire, I haven't really...I-I just don't know."

"For fuck's sake, man, you're a doctor!" snapped Alexia. "You went through med school! Surely, there must be something we can do!"

"I...didn't actually finish med school," he admitted, smiling sheepishly. "I got partway through, but the classes were really hard, so I had Mr. Knight fake my certifications and documents...He did a really good job actually, I really owe him a lot."

Suddenly, a loud scream emitted from Jessamine's throat and, with one last powerful surge of energy, managed to tear herself free from her restraints.

Before the nurses could react, Jess had grabbed one of the nurses and held her in a tight sleeper hold. Then, she traversed over to a nearby cart stocked with medical supplies and took one to hold up to the nurse's neck.

"Stay back, everyone!" she demanded. "Or...or she's gonna get it!"

The nurse, instead of being frightened, simply looked down in confusion at what Jess was pressing against her neck.

"You're...threatening me with a tongue depressor?"

Confused by this statement, Jess looked to find that the object in her hand was not sharp nor the least bit intimidating, unless put in a patient's mouth to initiate a gag reflex.

"What the...?! DAMMIT, I thought I grabbed one of the scalpels or scissors or...!"

Groaning with frustration, Jessamine set out to improvise, breaking the tongue depressor in two so that one end was left with a sharp pointed end.

"There, now it's...Well, i-it'll at least give her, like, a splinter or something...and then it'll get infected, so BACK OFF!"

Having seen enough madness, Alexia made her way across the hospital floor and over to Jess's location.

"Jess, come on. Let her go."

"NO! I am NOT gonna die in this hospital, Lexi!...Not before I beat TheLegend27!"

"Jess, we've discussed this. It was just a dumb commercial."

"Then how come I keep seeing people online with that username? Explain THAT, Smartypants!"

Alexia sighed, as the conversation had traversed into utter ridiculousness. The nurse had begun to turn blue from Jess's tight grip on her.

"Look, Jess, if you're gonna stab someone here, then why don't you just stab me?"

"Why would I wanna...?"

In response to this, Alexia stepped brazenly into the circle that had formed around Jess and the nurse, walking ever closer to the hostage situation.

"Hey...HEY, STAY BACK!"

Jess stuck the pointed end out at her threateningly, but Alexia continued to advance, maintaining a stoic expression as she neared her friend.

Eventually, she was within striking distance of Jess's sharp wooden weapon, yet Jess's hand remained frozen in the gap between her and her friend. Alexia cocked an eyebrow, daring her to take a jab at her with the tongue depressor.

Jess's hand visibly shook, as she was becoming intimidated by Alexia's calm demeanor. This allowed her to easily slide the tongue depressor out of her manic friend's hand, pocketing it afterwards.

Seeing as she had been defeated, Jess immediately released her hostage, who gratefully gasped in air and ran back toward her colleagues.

"You gonna behave yourself now?" she demanded, her eyes narrowed.

Even though she was physically a great deal shorter and scrawnier than Jess, this burgeoning assertiveness caused her to become much more intimidating to her paranoia-stricken friend.

Jess's eyes lowered sadly, and she consented as two nurses escorted her back to her hospital bed, even allowing them to re-tie her hands.

Several hospital staff looked at Alexia in amazement as she walked calmly away, eventually making her way out of the clinic and into the compound's massive lobby. She traversed the space, only sparsely populated with Black Skulls, before coming to the elevators on the other end.

The fact of the matter was, she had some urgent business to attend to with her uncle. Seeing that the compound's medical clinic would be rather unreliable in helping Jess, her only other option was to consult with the higher-ups: and luckily for her, she just happened to be acquainted with the most high in the crew's hierarchy, someone who could easily pull some strings to help her friend.

Her goal, as she ran over it in her head, was to have Jess checked into a rehab center. She had recently seen one advertised in Vinewood Hills that claimed a speedy average recovery time of 2 to 4 weeks. If all went well, Jess would be back to her normal, fun-loving self, and would be able to continue her work within the crew, assisting in the ongoing gang war.

Alexia hoped to use the latter benefit as leverage for her uncle's support in getting Jess the help she so desperately needed. Even though her performance in the clinic showed unwavering calm amidst the circumstances, deep within, she found herself extremely stressed by what all she had to do when meeting with her uncle. If she said the wrong thing, blew something out of proportion, or showed any of the nervousness she felt within, then it was possible that her uncle would strike down her proposition, most likely continuing Jess's downward spiral.

The girl in the elevator cursed herself under her breath, for the mistake of being so lenient toward Jess's marijuana usage. She should have had the nerve to strike down Jess's offer of smoking the bong while she had the chance, maintaining her hardline promise to Jess to help keep her off of drugs. Instead, she had broken that promise, and as a result, Jess had been reminded of the pleasurable effects of being high, leading to such a severe nervous breakdown.

However, now was not the time to dwell on such soul-crushing regrets. Despite the increasing lump in her throat, Alexia forced these thoughts into the back of her mind as the elevator neared the 27th floor.

She made her way down the dark, freezing hallway, using her personal swipe card to access each security checkpoint. The hallway became increasingly colder as she advanced; she subconsciously zipped up her jacket before cracking open the door to her uncle's secluded office.

Like some kind of ghastly school principal, he sat at his desk, writing on a few pieces of scratch paper. From her angle, he appeared to be drawing something that looked somewhat like a large building complex, referring to a nearby desktop computer for reference.

Eventually, though, he noticed his niece peering through the doorway, and leaned back from his work.

"Ah, Alexia," he greeted.

"H-hey, Uncle R," she responded, in a voice that came out much smaller and meeker than what she wanted.

Clearing her throat, she entered her uncle's office, closing the door gently behind her.

"Y...you're not busy right now, are you?"

"No, not at all," he assured her. "I can always make time for you, sit down."

"Uhm, no thanks. I-I kinda think better standing up," she said, smiling at him.

Of course, this was a bit of a lie, but the frigid cold of her uncle's office meant that being able to keep her muscles in motion by walking around the room would keep her from shivering, which her uncle could take as a sign of weakness during this potentially-tense negotiation.

While Remus found this a bit strange of her, he nonetheless allowed her to do as she pleased.

"Very well then...So, what is it you want to talk with me about?"

"Well, actually, uncle...I have a favor to ask of you. It shouldn't cause too much trouble for you. And I will be sure to repay you in any way necessary, on top of my existing debt to you. And if something were to go wrong, which it won't, then I-I'll take all the blame for-"

"What _is_ it, Alexia?" he said, with noticeable annoyance in his voice.

Realizing that she was becoming too wordy and overbearing, she decided to dial it back, making her proposition more concise.

Clenching her fists and taking a deep breath, she looked up into her uncle's emotionless gray eyes.

"I-it has to do with Jess...Right now, she's downstairs in the clinic, suffering a nervous breakdown caused by drug withdrawal. In this state, I doubt she can perform work that is expected of her position or help in the war, or help me in any of the jobs that I'm doing. Now, I know the clinic isn't really equipped to help with this kind of thing, so...What I'm thinking is that we check her into a rehab center in Vinewood Hills. That will ensure that she recovers quickly and is able to do assist with crew operations again."

For a while, Remus simply stared at his niece, who stood on the other end of the room, trying with every fiber of her being to not slink down into the wall, as she was so prone to do. Instead, she maintained her posture, maintaining eye contact with her uncle.

Eventually, he glanced downwards, adjusting his fedora on his head.

"Alexia..." he spoke in a low, menacing voice. "You do know that this proposition of yours would violate _several_ of our security protocols."

"Yes, I-I am aware of that. But...considering what we're going through right now with a shortness of manpower, and Jess's importance in teaching me, this should be considered a special case. After all, you said before that she was one of the best pilots in the history of the crew, so we need her for future missions."

"While she is a formidable pilot and we certainly need her skills...I'm afraid that this is something I cannot allow. It is just too risky."

The air was uncomfortably silent for a few moments as they stood there. Even though her countenance had not noticeably changed, Alexia could feel her heart shatter like glass from her uncle's rejection.

Before she could say anything, Remus adjusted himself in his chair once again, randomly scattering some papers across his desk.

"Look, Alexia...The fact is, Jessamine has a serious drug problem...But so do about half of the members of this crew. If I was to permit her and not any others to check into rehab for their addictions, then it would definitely arouse suspicion...But besides that, the crew is strapped for cash as it is because of our recent need for weapons and defense upgrades. So, any excess spending right now on things like this would be seen as waste."

A muscle in Alexia's cheek twitched nervously, which her uncle was quick to notice. This was a common tic of hers, yet she was determined to let this be the only uncontrolled emotion that she let escape.

She took a prolonged, deep breath before starting her response.

"Is...is that really how you see Jess? As just a waste of money?...I would see this as investing in the crew as well, improving our human resources."

"You have a very businesslike eye, Alexia. I've always liked that about you. Of course, I feel terrible about Jess's current situation, which is...kind of saying a lot considering the person I am. But I'm sorry, this is something I cannot permit."

"Hey, Jess is extremely loyal, alright?" said Alexia with noticeable anger. "She would never reveal secrets of the crew while she's in there!"

"You seem very sure of this, Alexia, when you've only known her for about a week or two."

"That may be true. But...but honestly, what we've been through together in just these past couple weeks, it's more than most friends endure through their entire lifetimes...Jess has more than proved herself to me as being loyal, saving me on countless occasions, always being there when I need her. I...I can't lose an ally like that, Uncle...I..."

"Alexia," he said without emotion. "I cannot allocate funds toward Jessamine's recovery. You may like her a lot, as a friend and ally, but...perhaps it may be time for you to consider...branching out."

She looked at her uncle with contempt as he said this, as if he had just betrayed her greatly.

"I mean, you can't keep doing jobs with the same person forever," he continued. "Eventually, you'll have to make some new friends and go on missions with them. Depending on just one person is fatal in this enterprise, as something terrible could happen...As it is with Jessamine."

"So, that's it then?" she snapped at him. "We just...leave her out to dry, after everything she's done for the crew! Uncle, that's-that's...THAT'S FUCKING BULLSHIT!"

Realizing what she had just done, Alexia was instantly stricken by shock. She clamped her hand over her mouth instinctively as Remus looked at her like she was crazy.

Never before had Alexia cursed in front of her uncle, the man she had known well since she was a small child. This action was made all the more significant by the fact that he was, at the current moment, the notorious leader of a vast criminal organization with far-reaching powers and abilities.

Instinctively, she wanted to shrink up into the nearest corner and apologize for her outburst. However, she had come too far and negotiated too many terms to back down, so she stood up tall, looking her uncle directly in the eye.

"I-I'm...Yeah...Yeah, that's bullshit, Uncle! If anyone is deserving of life-saving treatment like this, it's Jess-"

At this point, Alexia's uncle slammed his hands down onto his dark oak office table, the sound resonating like a gunshot the normally-still and eerie space.

Then, using his hands on the desk, he stood up, revealing his tall and gangly frame that towered over that of the girl in front of him.

"Alexia...This is your _final_ warning, as my niece..."

His voice was filled with the most menacing anger, and his cold gray eyes were like knives lacerating Alexia through and through.

"I cannot provide assistance to Jessamine in any way, shape, or form. If you want her better, then you'd best give her some more drugs, or try and contain her in a space yourself until she quits of her own accord. Do I make myself clear?!"

Remus shouted these last words at Alexia, with a coldness that was void of any of the love and affection he normally showed her. Instead, Alexia was now like any other fool that dared to enter into this office space, stricken by blood-curdling fear and examined under the electron microscope of her uncle's discerning eye.

She felt herself violently trembling, a cold sweat permeating her clothes. She felt as if her knees would give out from under her at any moment, and she would fall clumsily to the floor of her uncle's office. As a negotiator, she felt that she had failed overwhelmingly in her attempt to get help for Jess. She had only succeeded in pushing her uncle over the edge, making it impossible for him ever to consent to her proposition.

Thus, it was not her uncle's threatening tone nor his foreboding appearance that caused her so much grief in that instant; yet, it was the thought of her failing Jess, having to go back to the clinic and tell her that she could not secure her help. Then, as her uncle had stated, her only other options were to give Jess more drugs, possibly alleviating her manic state yet exacerbating her downward spiral and eventual death by overdose, or attempt to keep the muscular 6-foot-tall woman in an enclosed space in her apartment for a period of a few months, until she achieved an agonizingly-slow cold turkey recovery.

This would of course require 24/7 monitoring by Alexia, who had seen firsthand how Jess had broken through her restraints in the clinic as well as her other great physical capabilities. Therefore, she had no doubt that, even if she kept her tied up within her apartment (which would move her more into the realm of kidnapper), she would find some way to escape and procure more of her beloved drugs.

Alexia's emotions ran rampant as she stood there; she could feel the lump in her throat increasing, threatening to spill over into a show of tears that either may or may not work on her furious uncle. She decided not to try her luck, and swallowed these bothersome emotions once again.

With Jess's very life hanging in the balance, Alexia had to think fast. She decided, in her anxious haste, to make one last proposal in favor of her position.

"...Yes, Uncle. I...Sorry for getting carried away."

She noticed him easing up a bit, which gave her the go-ahead to put forth her last-ditch effort to save Jess.

"Um...with your permission, I'd just like to say one last thing...Afterwards, I promise I'll never mention this to you again."

Remus thought about it for a few moments, observing his niece's eyes, which were currently glinting with determination.

Sighing heavily, he leaned back in his chair, consenting to this one last proposal. He placed his hands in his lap as he leaned back in his cozy office chair.

"...What about this last thing makes you think I'll consent?"

"Well, Uncle R, just...tell me something real quick...Jessamine, you would say you trust her. Correct?"

"Enough to entrust her with the safety of my crew in missions, I suppose."

" _And_ enough to let her fly around in a high-powered military jet with explosive capabilities that cost probably millions of dollars."

Alexia smiled as she said this, but Remus scowled in return.

"What are you getting at, exactly?"

"Uncle, your problem obviously doesn't lie in Jess's ability to keep cool and not reveal our secrets. I know you trust her as part of the crew. Instead, it lies in what people within the crew will think when they notice Jess gone and a large sum of money missing from the treasury. But, if I were to simply...pay for Jess's rehab costs myself, then that won't be an issue within your inner circle."

Remus looked up from his desk, looking at her as if she had gone raving mad. However, Alexia simply stood there, looking considerably less nervous than she had previously been. She stood in a comfortable posture, a few paces away from her uncle's desk, a faint smile spread across her lips.

He adjusted the tip of his hat before responding.

"Alexia...You already harbor a rather cumbersome debt to me. I would strongly advise against-"

"I don't care," she said firmly. "Whatever it takes to get Jess better, I'll pay for it all, no matter the final cost."

Seeing the fiery determination in her eyes and the immovable countenance that she exhibited, Remus could see how resolute she was in her convictions, something which he couldn't help but respect of his niece.

He could tell that her new occupation was endowing her with a newfound assertiveness, something that she had lacked in childhood and most of her adult life up to this point. Family ties aside, standing up to a powerful crew leader with violent capabilities was something that required courage, and even in the face of defeat and his infamous wrath, she did not back down nor did she falter in her goals.

He discreetly smiled at how his beloved niece was growing as a person before turning back to her. She stood, waiting anxiously for his response to her last stated condition to his consent. She knew that if he did not budge at this, then it would be all over, and the probability of her friend recovering would be very much cast in doubt.

"You, um..." he started. "...You really do care about Jessamine, do you?"

"Of course...She's my best friend. Whatever debt I owe to you is miniscule compared to what all I owe her. My life...my sanity...my proficiency in battle, is pretty much all Jess's doing. If she hadn't come along, I certainly wouldn't have made it this long in Los Santos. I'd probably end up dead or captured, that much I am sure of."

"I see. A massive life debt that you owe to her that you're sure you have to pay back...That's the primary reason why you're offering to pay for her rehabilitation, yes? So you'll be closer to paying all that back."

"I...Well, i-it's, uh..."

Alexia rubbed the back of her neck, her firm assertiveness wavering for the first time in a long while. She knew that it was one of the primary catalysts for her fiery display earlier, but she did not expect her uncle to bring it up so casually.

"Th-that's not the only reason. She's-"

"Listen to me, Alexia...Trust me when I say that there is no such thing as a 'life debt'...Us, the Black Skulls, perform missions and risk our lives together. Everyone is cast into the same situation, with roughly the same odds of survival, every time they pick up a gun and head out into the unknown of the enemy's lair. We all share the same burden, the same goals, the same sense of victory that comes after a successful mission. In the end...We are one unit, leagues more powerful than any individual could ever dream of being. All of our experiences are shared equally, making the accumulation of debt among individuals nigh impossible. Simply put, it is our experiences that bond us together...Not the feeling that you have to pay someone back for what they did. Such courtesies are simply part of the job."

Remus gave a heavy sigh after finishing; from his countenance, he appeared quite weary to Alexia, as if his divulgence of advice to her had left him weary. Nonetheless, with a bit of difficulty it seemed, he raised himself up from his desk, allowing his tall frame to tower over her once again. He stretched his legs as he stood up, then pushed himself off of his desk so that he could walk around freely.

"Anyway...You just head on down to the clinic, and I'll be there to join you shortly afterwards."

Alexia lit up; she could hardly believe her ears, nor the words that her uncle had just uttered.

Remus's expression remained rather stoic as he lit up one of his beloved cigars. The room was so dark that the flash of his lighter was enough to cast shadows on the office walls.

"Uh...You're still here?" he asked curiously.

Alexia's lip trembled; she could feel tears of unrequited joy burning in her eyes as she looked at her uncle, who had just effectively saved her friend's life.

 _"...I...Th...Thank you, Uncle..."_

She could barely utter the words without her voice noticeably shaking, from a combination of heavy emotion and the shivering of her body as the office air chilled her to the bone.

Remus, who remained emotionless, simply nodded at her.

"Mm-hmm...Just get going, before I gain the nerve to change my mind."

She nodded, then headed out, leaving her uncle to smoke in peace.

Making her way back through the security checkpoints, she practically skipped down the dark and eerie hallways of the 27th floor penthouse, so elated was she that her uncle had consented. Now, Jess would surely receive the help that she needed.

She could hardly wait, on her descent to the ground floor, to tell Jess the wonderful news. She wondered what condition her friend was currently in, or whether she had again attempted a struggle with the clinic staff. Whatever the case, she was sure that the promise of help would be enough to raise her spirits. She would, however, leave out having to pay for her care, as she did not want Jess to feel guilty about such things. Her efforts, she assured herself, would speak through her friend's successful rehabilitation.

After all, as her uncle had said to her, there was no such thing as a 'life debt' between the two friends. No matter how many times they have saved each others' lives, they were but part of one common organization with common goals in place. And on top of their close personal friendship, maintaining a record of debts owed to each other would only drive a wedge between them. Their relationship was a special kind of friendship, that was for sure, and she wanted to make sure it remained that way.

She made her way across the lobby and into the clinic, which was mostly devoid of life except for a few nurses stocking medications. Behind them lay Jess on the only occupied hospital bed. She had had her restraints loosened enough so that she could cover herself with a couple of blankets, which she held up to her neck. Despite this, she still shivered heavily, her eyes clenched tightly as she held the blankets tighter. A wet rag had been placed on her forehead by one of the nurses to counteract her fever.

As soon as Alexia saw her friend, however, she ran over to her location, intent on cheering her up with the news.

"Jess!" she happily called to her.

Jess turned to look at her as she skipped across the hospital floor and made her way to Jess's bedside. She was smiling happily, but a weary Jess had trouble even recognizing the person in front of her.

 _"Wha...? Santa?"_

"What?...N-no Jess, it's me. Alexia."

 _"Ohh, Lexi...It's...good to see y-"_

Before she could finish her sentence, she was forced to pick up a bucket next to her bed and again heave up the contents of her stomach. As soon as she finished, she set the bucket back down so that a nurse could dutifully empty it out for her.

She fell back onto her pillow, breathing heavily from exhaustion.

 _"I...I am very unwell..."_

Alexia sighed, gazing sadly at her friend's pitiful condition.

"I know, Jess...But don't worry, 'cause we're gonna get you better. I was able to get you some help."

 _"Ohh no, another hospital?"_ she said despairingly, putting her hands over her eyes.

"Not...quite. You're gonna go to rehab, Jess. I've went ahead and arranged it with-"

At that very moment, a ghastly white hand clamped itself onto the guardrail of Jess's bed, startling Alexia and Jess equally.

Like the Devil appearing at the mentioning of his name, Remus stood there towering above both women with a menacing presence that seemed to perforate the entire medical clinic.

The two nurses stared in utmost awe at their crew leader, whom they so rarely saw, before one of them nudged the other to sneak quietly out of the room, leaving only Alexia and her uncle standing over her sick friend.

"Listen to me, Jessamine," he started, in a voice that reflected absolutely no rays of cheerfulness or hospitality. "This is not something I would normally permit, so pay close attention to these instructions. I will tell you this one time only."

His glare was threatening, and the blackness of his clothes and his incredibly-tall stature made him as a demon or ghoul standing over Jessamine's bed. She felt chills run down the length of her spine as Remus began his instructions.

"Alexia, she told me of the situation you are currently facing. I know that your illness is being caused by drug withdrawal. Now, I am sure you are aware that we are short-staffed right now, including on pilots. That said, we need you to recover quickly, so...I have lifted some longstanding regulations to have you sent to the Parsons Rehab Center in Vinewood Hills. On the assumption, of course, that your stay there will be short and intensely dedicated to recovery."

His grip tightened on the guardrail, accentuating some of the blue veins running down his hand.

"You will be given an assumed identity," he continued. "And your appearance will also need to be changed. The cover story for your prolonged absence from the crew will be that you are doing surveillance work of the Rose compound. These are the circumstances for which I will permit this...If _any_ of these are broken, or if you fail to follow your assumed identity to the letter, then I assure you that you will be pulled out of rehab, and the _painful_ consequences of such a trespass will be delivered by me unto you. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes sir!" she squeaked frightfully. "I-I'll stick to the cover story a-and get better, I promise!"

"Of course you do."

In an instant, Remus seemed to relax a great bit, and his facial expression changed from that of angry intimidation to one of slight boredom.

"You're a good kid, Jessamine, I know you won't let me down."

He gave Jess a couple of uncomfortable pats on her shoulder before leaving from the clinic, returning to the elevator and his dark penthouse.

Now, two friends were left in uncomfortable silence, among cabinets filled to the brim with prescriptions and a mostly-unoccupied row of hospital beds.

Jessamine was still shaking from the encounter with Remus, but Alexia found herself incredibly relieved. With a set of conditions, of course, Jess would be able to recover from her debilitating illness and dependence on narcotics, something that Alexia had promised that she would help her to kick.

"Isn't this great, Jess?" said Alexia. "Y-you're gonna get better!"

"Yeah, yeah that's great...But...AUGH, would someone get these FUCKING GREEN BUGS OFF OF ME!"

She swatted at the imaginary bugs crawling across her bedsheets, another symptom of her continuing paranoia. No matter how much she punched and kicked the bugs, her fist seemed to pass right through, and they continued their advance up her white hospital blanket.

Jess began to hyperventilate, but she soon felt a warm presence manifest itself where the bugs had been. Looking down, she saw Alexia's body laid across her own, her arms wrapped around her trusted friend in a tight hug.

"It's okay, Jess..." she said in a soft voice. "It's all gonna be okay. You're gonna recover, and then we'll go back to doing what we usually do together."

Alexia's words helped to calm Jess significantly, along with making the hallucinations go away. Instead of the biting cold she had felt as a result of her fever, she now felt the most blissful warmth emanating from her friend.

She put her arm around Alexia's back, enveloping her in an equally-powerful hug. She held her trusted friend tightly, stroking her short black hair to bring some semblance of comfort to her form.

Jess gave a heavy sigh, gazing down at her friend.

"...I'm sorry..."

Alexia immediately lifted her head to look upon Jess, whose eyes were downcast in gloominess.

"I...I should never have smoked that weed and put you through all this trouble...I should've just left it-"

"Hey," she assured her. "That doesn't matter now...You can make it up to me, if you promise to get better. Do whatever it takes at that rehab center to kick that crap once and for all."

"Yeah. Y-yeah, I will."

"Promise me, Jess."

Alexia gazed intently at her friend. Her green eyes shone in the iridescent light of the hospital room, locked firmly onto Jessamine's form in her hospital bed.

On the verge of tears by this point, she took Alexia in her arms once again and held her close to her body.

"I promise, Alexia...I promise, I'll get better...The new, drug-free Jessamine is lurking right around the corner...And she's not about to let her cute best friend Lexi down."


	18. Alexia and Elena's Excellent Adventure

**DISCLAIMER: This chapter might take some endurance to read through, as it is by far the longest one I have typed up. Tallying up at around 14,000 words, that is quite a doozy. Partially why it took me so long to type up, but once my brain gets rolling on a story, it is insanely hard to control it. And this action-packed story definitely reigned my thoughts for this past month-and-a-half.**

 **With that being said, I will not waste pixels on pointless introductions. So please, sit back, grab some popcorn, some soda, and enjoy the latest installation in this complete clusterfuck of a fanfiction work.**

* * *

The roads of northern Vinewood had always been extremely narrow and winding. This area of Los Santos, nestled in the crook of the mountain range that effectively halved the state into its two distinct regions, boasted numerous homes belonging to wealthy musicians and celebrities. Perched high above the houses of those of inferior wealth, these carefully-groomed and polished mansions hugged the tiny corridors and alleyways closely, as if watching over passerby that were forced to snake their way slowly through the hills. This ensured that whoever journeyed along these roads was forced to take in the posh luxury and architectural wonders of this area. Accordingly, many tourists to Los Santos aimed to do just that, gawking at the homes of celebrities and hoping to catch a glimpse of someone famous for themselves.

This area had seen its share of horrendous car accidents, a good deal of which had involved the area's famous residents and the incredibly-fast sports cars that they owned. In such vehicles, having to drive at such a snail-crawl speed to get back to their homes was like an unbearable torture that prevented them from pushing their cars to a speed that they were manufactured to attain. The area was highly popular for drifting in these vehicles. Too often, however, drivers are unable to make such tight turns at high speed, and they end up crashing into houses and veering through guardrails and off steep cliffs. Sometimes, deadly head-on collisions would occur between two vehicles that did not see each other while navigating a tight curve.

Despite these hazards, in the dead of night, a pair of headlights zoomed callously down the narrow streets. Moving like a pair of streaking comets down the road, this car carried a blatant disregard for the two-lane system; at times, the car took up both lanes of traffic as it drifted through the streets. The screech of burning rubber bounced off of lush mansions and into the otherwise-still night air.

Inside the vehicle was a rather-relaxed young man, who sat in his drivers' seat with one hand positioned on the steering wheel. His other was busy holding a smartphone to his ear, which he was currently talking into.

"I-I'm tellin' you, man, this album is gonna be straight fire, my dude! It's got these sick vintage-soundin' beats, my sick flow, and collaborations with like 20 other hip hop artists, to show that I'm respected and legitimate as a rapper."

 _"Bruh, foreal?"_ his friend responded. _"Man...who says white boys can't rap, you doin' it big right now my nig!"_

"Nah, nah I ain't big just yet. I mean, my mansion only got like 10 bedrooms right now, dog. I...I still gotta make a name for myself in this game-"

At this point, a joyous bit of serendipity struck the man in the midst of driving, as he realized that the sentence he had just postulated contained words that rhymed.

"Dammmnnn," he said, snickering. "Maybe I ain't long after all, man...Hold on, I-I gotta write that down."

Reaching into the glovebox of his car, his view completely obstructed from the road, he took out an old-fashioned pen and paper on which he had scribbled some ideas for lyrics. Then, only barely glancing at the darkened streets ahead of him, he proceeeded to jot down his idea on the paper.

Thoroughly distracted, he barely noticed the incoming motorist who was forced to swerve to avoid hitting him. The other driver blared his horn at him, which caused him to perk up from his work.

 _"Damn man, what was that?"_ his friend asked over the phone.

"Agh! Man, some fuckin' fool interruptin' my flow, man! I can't even remember what fire I just thought of just now, man! Shit!"

 _"Ay, ay, take it easy homie."_

"Shit..." he grumbled, laying his head on the steering wheel. "Hey man, do you remember what it was?"

A long pause then ensued, in which the manin the car impatiently waited for his friend to answer.

"...Deonte, pick up nigga!"

 _"What...Oh, uh, sorry man, I was goin' down on this bitch while I was talkin' to you jus now."_

"Man, yo' ass better not be with Allison. We had an agreement."

 _"She ain't yo' girl no more though. Jus chill out, fam. She happy with ya boi."_

 _"Who is it, baby?"_ asked a soft feminine voice.

 _"Oh, uh it's just David, baby. P-put that crack pipe down, so you can talk to 'im."_

"Fuck! You! Both of y'all!" shouted a highly emotional David. "Don't you or that bitch ever talk to me again, aight?!"

 _"Dude, chill the fuck out,"_ he said, laughing. _"I-I'ma let you go, you jus take care of yo'self David, I'll catch you later."_

"The name is Yung Reese...Nigga don't talk to me no more."

He angrily hung up on his friend, groaning loudly at his romantic misfortunes. To calm himself, he decided to indulge in yet another safety hazard, temporarily removing his hands from the wheel so that he could roll up a blunt and smoke it. The marijuana smoke soon filled the atmosphere of the car, further disorienting the rapper as geometric shapes soon began to cloud his vision.

Luckily though, by this point he was only a few yards away from his house, a palatial mansion nestled in the hills. He parked his car in the concrete carport, then let the smoke filter out of the car as he slowly climbed out. He had to admit that he was now much calmer, but high to the point that he had much trouble stumbling down the concrete to the front door of his house.

"Mannn...who needs friends when you got money and weed, nigga..."

He snickered as he said this, wheezing with the smoke in his lungs.

The more he thought about it, however, the more this bit of self-musing started to make sense. With only money and weed, a man could be in an eternal state of happiness without the need for companions, who seemed to bring about much more trouble than they were worth. In fact, from this entertaining idea he garnered another idea for a song, which he would be sure to meditate further on within the confines of his bedroom.

Suddenly, however, he heard in the darkness a rustling of grass and leaves, forcing him to look behind him.

Startled, he immediately cowered at the figure before him, who stood pointing a gun directly at his head.

 _"Hands up!"_ the figure ordered, in a distinctly-female voice. _"Or I'll blow your brains all over the Mediterranean architecture!"_

Realizing he had to comply with the stranger's orders or face immediate death, he stood up, raising his hands just above his head.

The threatening figure had on a jet-black skull mask that completely obscured her face and effectively hid her identity from her victim. However, her short stature and high-pitched voice clearly denoted her as a girl, despite baggy attire and a head of boyishly short black hair that fell just over the top of her skull mask.

David became increasingly frightened as he realized the connotation of the mask she was wearing; he had heard about the attacks and the murders perpetrated by the Black Skulls, a professional criminal organization that killed as if it was nothing. And now, this girl, who he assumed was of the Skulls' ranks, was about to make him the next victim of their bloodshed.

The two stood in silence for a while, the girl aiming her pistol at his head and the man shaking as he struggled to keep his hands raised.

"L-look, man, I don't want no trouble or nothin', homie, just let me go, aight? I ain't got nothin' to do with y'all."

 _"Oh, I know,"_ she said in a sinister tone. _"...But that doesn't mean I won't kill you if you don't give me what I want."_

"Well, uh, w-whhat is it you want, man? Money? Bitches?...Well, uh, I ain't got many bitches yet, but I'm workin' on it-"

 _"Are you dumb or something?"_ she asked angrily. _"Do I LOOK like I want bitches?"_

"I-I don't know, man, I don't know what you...Anyway, j-just...Please, please don't kill me, aight? My album's droppin' soon, I-I'ma have a bigass release party here at my crib...I...Please, man, rappin's all I got. I-I'm total shit at everything else, dog!"

After saying this, tears started to drip down David's face, making the situation all the more awkward for Alexia.

She facepalmed before stepping closer to the man.

 _"Look, you dumbass, I don't wanna kill you. Really, I couldn't think of a bigger waste of a bullet."_

"Ay, I resent that homi-"

She cocked her gun, causing David to immediately shut up and raise his hands sky high.

Satisfied that he was now quiet, Alexia continued.

 _"...So, here's the deal here: You just give me those car keys right there, and I'll be satisfied. How's that?"_

"Oh...oh, that's it?" said David, sounding somewhat relieved, as he reached into his pocket.

He tossed her his car keys, which she effectively caught with her outstretched palm.

"Fam, I got like 10 more of these in my garage, you can have this one. Sales from my album'll cover it."

 _"Oh. W-well that's, uh..."_

Taken heavily by surprise at the man's willingness to give up his car, Alexia nonetheless kept her gun pointed at him.

 _"Uh, thank you...I-I guess."_

"No problem. But, uh, why you still got yo' gun pointed at me though?"

 _"Yeaahhh, um, between you and me...This isn't a real gun."_

Before he could be puzzled at what she meant, David began to convulse violently, dropping to his knees on the concrete driveway. His muscles spasmed uncontrollably, his eyelids fluttered, and he soon dropped to the ground, completely unconscious.

Indeed, in the darkness, he had not noticed that Alexia was wielding an electric stun gun instead of an actual pistol. Whenever she could, she much preferred to keep her robberies and altercations with criminals nonlethal, which is why she had bought the stun gun from her local Ammu-Nation. The gun sent 50,000 volts into its target, effectively incapacitating them for at least a few minutes.

Realizing that she had little time to lose, she quickly hopped into the luxury sports car and sped down the road to the nearest Los Santos Customs auto shop. She had only minutes to get the car completely resprayed and its license plate replaced, then head down to the docks and deliver the car to her patron, Simeon.

Despite the high stresses at the moment, Alexia allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Her first solo carjacking had gone off without a hitch, even without the assistance of her trusted friend Jess.

Even though she felt so distant and out of reach to Alexia, Jess was in fact just down the road, recuperating from her illness at the Parsons Rehabilitation Center, a rather peaceful space filled with lush greens and meditation pools, a place filled with people whom she trusted could help her friend.

She remembered how different Jess had looked before she left; per her uncle's demand that she change her appearance, she had been forced to cut her long, flowing locks of hair until it was left boyishly short. She had then dyed the remnants of it from shining golden blonde into a drab dirt brown. Reflecting this new image of hers, she abstained from her usual plethora of makeup and other beauty products, which made her appear unrecognizable to most people in the crew. Alexia, however, could still easily see her as her muscular 6-foot-tall best friend.

Jessamine, or rather, Reena Jacobs, as she was to be known as for the duration of her visit, had a bit of trouble adjusting to her new persona. Before she left, Alexia had coached her on aspects of her new identity, where Reena was born (Vice City), her mother's maiden name (Alvarez), her main personality traits (confident and friendly, but only around people that she knew _well_ , Alexia couldn't stress enough). If she somehow misnamed one of these details, Alexia urged her not to correct herself, but to maintain everything she told the people at Parson's to keep from seeming disingenuous.

Jess, however, seemed confident in her ability to stick to her prescribed story. As a former child actress, she assured Alexia, she had played more than a few roles in her time. Indeed, to her, Reena was just another credit to her acting portfolio, despite the gap between this and her last role being about 10 years.

Alexia had driven her to the rehabilitation center, and would be there to pick her up when she was deemed no longer addicted to dangerous narcotics. They had embraced warmly and shed a few tears and promises to see each other again before Jess stepped into the facility, flanked by pleasant-seeming attendants. Despite how highly emotional the moment was when Jess had left her, Alexia was confident that Jess would be cured of her ailment here. The high-profile feel of the place, the lush gardens, the small bubbling fountains encircled by chatting support groups, gave her the feeling that this place was exactly what Jess needed to kick her habit permanently.

The obvious drawback to this great treatment, of course, was its price tag. By her uncle's estimates (even factoring in San Andreas's advanced universal healthcare), Alexia would have an estimated $100,000 tacked onto her existing debt. And, unfortunately for her, she still found herself stuck performing very low-paying criminal work, such as auto theft and the occasional low-profile killing. Rookie members such as her did not receive a crew salary, so Alexia would be forced to make do with whatever job she could scrape up, without the assistance of her loyal best friend.

Alexia entered the Los Santos customs garage near Rockford Hills and had the car resprayed from frost white into a more-circumspect charcoal black, before having the license plate stripped and replaced to throw off any APB's that might have been placed on the vehicle. All of these expenses, unfortunately, had to come out of her own pocket, which left her with a deficit of roughly $1,000 before driving out of the garage and making her way south toward Dock City.

After traversing virtually the entire city, she pulled the car into Simeon's personal garage, located near the southeastern-most corner of the city limits. Waves crashed against the concrete platforms that constituted Dock City's entire landmass: indeed, the whole Port of Los Santos area was its own artificial island, connected to the mainland only by a few bridges that spanned over the harbor, allowing thousands of dock workers to commute to work each day.

Now, however, all was largely quiet; no cargo was being moved at this ungodly hour, allowing Alexia to meet with her secondary boss in solitude.

"There she is, my wonderful repo girl!" Simeon exalted her with a laugh.

"Mr. Yetarian," she said with a light smile as she stepped out of the car. "...I got it, just like you asked for."

"Perfect, perfect! So, how did it go?"

"Pretty smooth, you know. Celebrity type. I moved so quick he didn't even know what hit him."

"Beh, they are all the same. Rich enough to pay for extravagant parties in the hills, but not enough to pay their bills, ah? Anyway, good work, my girl, I am so very proud of you. Come and give your uncle Simeon a hug."

Before she could object, Simeon wrapped the tiny girl in a hug, leaving Alexia to suffocate in the smell of foreign cologne festering in the wrinkles of his collared shirt.

It was also at this moment, however, that she started to miss Jess once more: Simeon's hugs were meager compared to her squeezing embraces that were capable of snapping spines. Nonetheless, she had always enjoyed receiving one from her after every job that they pulled together.

Noticing Alexia's downcast expression, Simeon pulled away.

"You, uh, seem like something is troubling you, my girl."

"N-no, no, I'm fine," she said, attempting to compose herself. "So, uh...what's the pay this time, boss?"

"Ah, yes. Hmm...Well, since you did not damage the vehicle and you delivered the car speedily, I guess I can give you, uhh...This much."

Reaching into his pocket, he plopped into Alexia's hands a stack of 100-dollar bills, wrapped so neatly that Simeon must have prepared it before she had even arrived.

A further count revealed the total amount of the cash, about $7,000 in total. This total, of course, was before deducting the $1,000 Alexia had spent herself on respraying the car.

As she weighed the cash in her palm, Alexia looked strangely morose for someone who was handling such a large amount of money by layman's terms. She quickly pocketed the money and turned back to Simeon.

"Thanks, Mr. Yetarian. I...I really..."

"Alexia, you are doing the face again."

"What? Uhh, what face?"

"The kind that greatly reminds me of a sad baby because of your delicate features and milk-white complexion. So, I implore you, my girl, please tell me what it is that bothers you, and if it is within my power, I will stop it. Anything to stop the sad face from you."

Alexia averted her gaze. She had been dreading this moment, but since Simeon insisted so fervently, she felt she had to reveal it to him.

She sighed heavily before beginning.

"Mr. Yetarian...Look, i-it's been really great working for you. You've helped me to get an excellent start here in the city, and I'll always be grateful for that. But...Well, some things have come up recently within the Skulls, and as a result...I now have a lot of debt that I have to pay to the crew. So, what I'm saying is, I think I need to move on to bigger things, bigger...jobs. If someone else needs startups and would do well in your service, then I'll be sure and put you in contact with them."

"Oh, but you have it all wrong, my girl..."

He put his arm snugly around Alexia's shoulders, leading her around the garage.

"You see, abandoning this enterprise now would not be a good move at all. For you see...We are just getting started, ah? Pretty soon, we will have not just one, but twenty garages all over Port City! My business will be the number one auto store in Los Santos. We will have dozens upon dozens of annoying commercials on TV, advertising our low-price guarantee! But...I can only do such a thing with your help. Some random hood would pale in comparison to the exceptional work you have done for me. And I assure you, my girl, once I do become big...The spoils will be aplenty."

As his speech had progressed, he had taken Alexia tighter by her tiny shoulders, causing her to grow slightly uncomfortable in the older man's presence.

Sensing this, he released her and ushered her toward the garage door.

"Look, no pressure, my sweet girl. You just think about it, come back to me when you're ready."

He gave her a gentle push out of his garage and onto the road, where a heavy maritime wind had since blown in from the sea. The intense breeze rippled Alexia's jacket about her shoulders and tussled her hair in her face as she looked back at Simeon, still within the shelter of his garage.

He prepared to close the door to this nondescript hub for stolen vehicles before directing Alexia another, far-less friendly look.

"...Just allow me to remind you, Alexia, before you head out: You speak of a debt that you owe to your crew...But you seem to forget about the debt that you owe to me as well. I paid to repair your Oracle and gave you employment out of the goodness of my own heart. So...let me just say that abusing my charity would be a rather foolish move indeed."

He pulled the garage door down over the entrance, leaving Alexia alone out on the pitch-black pavement.

After this seemingly-threatening message, Alexia did not know what to think. Clearly, it would be much more difficult to quit from Simeon's service than she had previously thought. But what, she wondered, could he possibly do if she did not come back to him? She did not know much about his criminal connections: he had only mentioned in passing to her one time that his cousin was a capo in the Armenian Mafia, but this did not necessarily mean that he himself was in with them.

She, however, was in with a crew that most criminal organizations made sure to steer clear from, because of their reputation for cruelty and brutality to their enemies. Only the Roses had seemed to be dumb enough to test the waters at Bahama Mamas, but in so doing had exposed many weaknesses within the Skulls that had permitted them to be slaughtered at the nightclub. In so doing, the Skulls were no longer as big a threat as they once seemed, and so several other criminal organizations had been trying their luck as well.

Just the other day, she had heard of a shipment of drugs being attacked by members of the Lost MC; the Skulls onboard the semi-truck full of coke had repelled the attack, killing all the attacking bikers, but it was the first time in several years that such a threat had been faced by the crew. And shortly afterwards, a storehouse had been raided by armored FIB agents, who took hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs and ammunition. A band of Skulls had showed up to resist them and take back the contraband, but they had been mowed down by agents in heavy juggernaut armor wielding miniguns. Soon after, agency backup had been called in, and Remus Knight had ordered the Skulls to stand down, for fear of losing even more men and supplies.

While things had looked rather bleak for the Skulls with these two events, Remus had reportedly received a call from someone claiming to be from the IAA, the rival agency of the FIB. He had not revealed many specifics about his conversation, but he did seem to confirm that the Roses and their allies were indeed being assisted by the FIB, in an attempt to systematically take down the Skulls. If this was true, then it would explain the Roses' highly-increased capabilities and ability to gather intelligence from Skull circles. In response, the IAA contact wished to assist the Skulls so that they could beat the FIB in their continual funding war.

Alexia shivered as another gale-force wind blew in; she crossed her arms over her chest and made her way over to her car, which she had called for her mechanic to deliver.

She took blissful refuge inside her blood-red Oracle, a lasting piece of physical evidence of the help Simeon had provided for her. Of course, quitting from his services was not something that came as guilt-free to her. She just knew that she had to move on to bigger things if she was ever going to repay the debt that she owed.

She took out her phone, using it to dial someone else that she was sure could help her in this time of need. She patiently waited for this someone, even as the phone's ring exceeded 5 tones on her end.

 _"Urgh...Alexia?"_ Martin Madrazo mumbled on the other end, sounding tired.

"Mister Madrazo, hey," she greeted cheerily. "Sorry to bother you, but it's been a while since we last talked. So I was just calling to see if you needed any assistance with anything."

 _"Yes, I...I was expecting you to call about work, Alexia...Just not at two o'clock in the morning..."_

Alexia froze; looking at her car's dashboard clock, it was indeed past 2:00 AM, and that she had disturbed Mr. Madrazo from his sleep. She had been so awake and alert throughout the night that she had not noticed that the time was so late.

She laughed nervously at her error, pulling on the collar of her shirt.

"I-I apologize for that, sir. I must've lost track of-"

 _"No, n-no, I can appreciate someone vigilant and nocturnal...Just don't do it again,"_ he said, ending in a rather threatening tone.

"Yes, sir, c-certainly," she assured him in a shaky voice. "I-if you want to talk later, we can."

 _"Well, actually, now that I think about it...There is something right now that I need cleaned up...A rival smuggling ring, situated at the warehouse in Elysian Island. They are stealing my business, so I need you to shut them down. Kill them, take their stash and then deliver it to me. You can use the boats at the warehouse to bring it to my people on the Palomino coast. Is that, uh, simple enough for you?"_

"Yeah...Yeah, uh, I can do that for you. No problem...Killing smugglers and robbing them blind is my specialty, after all. Well, apart from-"

 _"Yes, yes, I hear you,"_ he said, sounding annoyed and groggy. _"But, may I remind you that this is a two-person job, Alexia...You will need a friend."_

At Mr. Madrazo's words, Alexia clammed up, nearly dropping the phone in her hand. The person she normally went enlisted for two-person jobs was hopelessly incapacitated, meaning that she would have to seek outside help to complete this mission.

However, the money being offered was simply too much to turn down, even if it meant that she had to make some new friends to get it done. She swallowed before responding to her tertiary (now secondary) employer.

"...Got it. We'll get that done for you as soon as possible."

 _"Glad to hear it...Goodbye."_

Martin hung up the phone, leaving Alexia in nervous silence within her car. The only discernible sound was that of the wind, howling viciously outside her window.

She mulled over a list of people that could possibly help her in her head: Damien couldn't, since he was currently on a covert assassination mission; Joey couldn't either, as he had been shot in the foot yet again during a recent Rose raid (he had since gotten to calling it his 'unlucky foot').

Then, however, Alexia's thoughts wandered to someone else; a new arrival, whose stone-cold demeanor and experience in the field would be great company to have in this high-risk, high-stakes mission.

Nodding to herself, she started the engine and accelerated out of Port City, mulling over just how she would enlist this person's help.

* * *

"So...Let me get this straight," questioned Elena in her heavy Russian accent. "You want me to help you...stick up some drug dealers and then take their stash?"

"That's, uh, about the size of it, yeah."

The two were conversing in Elena's office within the Black Skull compound, whose square footage was not nearly as impressive as her uncle's, yet was just as refined. An expansive oak desk stored all of her important papers and files, which Alexia noticed she kept leagues more organized than her uncle did. A world map and a shiny golden dagger sat next to her papers and desktop computer. Unlike most offices, however, there was a stark lack of personality to Elena's office, no small mementos or pictures of family tacked to the walls. Her uncle at least had a picture of his brother when they were kids sitting on top of a filing cabinet, and a rather embarrassing picture of Alexia as a chubby 8-year-old tucked inside his wallet.

On Elena's walls were only a few charts and maps and, on the other side of her desk, a bay window that showcased the skyline and an ominous, cloudy day outside.

She leaned forward in her office chair, gazing curiously at the girl who had entered her office and boldly asked her to accompany her on a job. Alexia did her best to maintain her posture and innocent smile, despite Elena's scrutinizing look.

"Look, um..." Alexia started, rubbing her neck, which had broken out in a nervous rash. "Elena, I do realize that you're a busy woman-"

"I am."

A highly uncomfortable silence endured following this interruption. Alexia searched desperately for something else to say to abate the awkwardness.

"B-but...It shouldn't take that long, and Mr. Madrazo, he pays awesomely, too."

"Alexia..." she started, fondling the dagger betwixt her fingers. "I realize that you are capable and, don't get me wrong, this does seem like a decent offer of work you are proposing, but...well, I do have my concerns..."

Elena suddenly threw her arm back and tossed the dagger across her office. It entered a calculated spin before its sharp edge punctured the exact center of a target board that Alexia had not noticed when she had walked in.

Astonished by this, Alexia gaped at the mounted board and the knife that Elena had thrown with such dead accuracy. Elena, meanwhile, leaned back in her cozy swivel chair and cleared her throat.

"...As you are aware, I am here in the first place by a contract with the Skulls, to assist them in the war in any way I can. And the way I see it...The job you described does not seem related to this role...If something were to come up while I was gone, then the consequences could be severe. The Roses could attack, and I would not be there to coordinate a response, like I am being paid to do. So if a job is completely unrelated to the crew's well-being, then I cannot go about doing this with you."

"...Who says this has to be unrelated?"

Elena looked up at her to see Alexia smiling, as if she had anticipated Elena to say this and was eager to give her response.

"The way I see it, this can be a step up not just for me and you, but for the whole crew as well."

"I...am not sure if I know what you mean, Alexia."

"Think about it, Elena...I told you were hitting these guys at a warehouse, right? The big, huge one over on Elysian Island."

She nodded slowly, now understanding more clearly what Alexia was going for. She did appreciate the girl's intellect, even though she was still not fully onboard with joining her.

"Yes, indeed...I'm, uh, assuming you've heard of the recent FIB raid, and how much it hurt us. But, just to clarify...you're proposing that after we kill the smugglers and take their product, we...take over that warehouse?"

"Exactly...The drugs, of course, would have to go to Madrazo's people, but he didn't say we couldn't have the space afterwards. Could be important later in the war, because from what I've gathered, it can also store amphibious vehicles like submarines and-"

"Alexia..."

She started, and then sighed heavily, letting out a light yawn as she did so. Alexia could clearly see bags under her eyes, as if her job had greatly deprived her of sleep.

"...You do realize that taking over a warehouse is quite a momentous task. I will probably have to run this by the boss, see if he can help."

"Now, Elena. You know my un...uuh-uhh, I-I-I mean, Mr. Knight, he's not gonna want to launch a big full-scale assault right now. But the two of us, with our combined firepower...We can handle this. Save the crew some trouble and get paid for it."

Elena squinted at Alexia, as if there was a flashlight was shining at her eyes. Alexia, however, took this as Elena studying her intensely, and she fought against every instinct to stand up tall and wait for Elena's response.

"Sorry, I-I just...Something seems...Different about you, Alexia."

"Hmm?"

"You seem to have a greater amount of confidence and assertiveness than when we last met...I recall you sweating profusely and apologizing several times, then leaving after about five minutes."

"I had...indigestion that day," she said, even though her eyes were incredibly shifty.

In reality, the tough Russian woman had made her so incredibly nervous that day by asking her to speak louder that she had had to excuse herself from her presence.

Elena nodded, even though her gaze instantly told Alexia that she did not believe her.

"Whatever the case, it is quite an improvement. Your usual partner, Jessamine, she is...doing surveillance work, yes?"

"Mm-hmm. Highly secret and dangerous. She's infiltrating the Rose compound, getting the blueprints I've heard."

"Yes...yes, that will help us a lot..."

While saying this, however, Elena's gaze did not change; her cold eyes remained locked on Alexia, and she feared most of all that she knew she was lying. Under such duress, for the first time in the meeting, Alexia showed open signs of nervousness under such a frigid, glowering look.

"...Very well then," she continued. "I guess I can go with you. But, under _two_ conditions."

Reaching into her tote bag, she grabbed a primitive-looking cell phone and plopped it down onto her desk.

"One, this stays with me at all times. It is my emergency phone. If I receive a call during the mission, I will have to leave. Or at least, handle things over the phone while you shoot the bad guys. And two..."

She held up her finger, before stating the most important condition of all.

"...I'm driving."

Elena stood up and, moving with long-yet-graceful strides, made her way across the office and to the exit.

Alexia, amazed that Elena carried such easy terms for helping her, gladly followed her out. The Russian woman, before exiting, quickly wrote on a sticky note and placed it on her office door. Peering at the note, Alexia could see that it read:

 _'GONE TO BRUNCH. Will be back soon.'_

A strange fake excuse for a toughened criminal, but in a way, it was also true because, while Alexia and Elena would not be conversing over food and drink, she hoped that the drive there would be an opportunity to get to know her better. As it was, she knew very little about the woman in front of her because she was so secretive and cold. However, she hoped to dig past this, hoping to get her to open up as much as Jess had done to her.

Following behind her like an eager schoolchild, Alexia stepped into Elena's car, a charcoal-black Bravado Banshee with a blood-red stripe that ran down its middle, figuratively dividing the car into two equal halves. Elena cranked the engine, accelerating out of the spacious Black Skull garage and out onto the street.

As they drove, silence manifested in the luxury vehicle. Alexia looked down at her feet, while Elena preemptively turned up the volume on a CD she had playing: a record of what sounded very much like death metal, but with Russian lyrics.

Eventually, the vocalist's growls and gurgles were not enough of a distraction from the stillness in the car, and so Alexia set out to do something that she had always had trouble with: casual small talk.

"Uhm...this is a really nice car."

Elena turned down the radio, as she was only barely able to understand Alexia's quiet speech as it was.

"Yes, um...I had it imported from my house in Pavlodar...Got it at a good price, too, from a car smuggler on the river."

"That's, uh...th-that's nice..."

She cleared her throat awkwardly, knowing very well that that was not a very good response.

"...So, um, you told me you were Russian...Where in Russia are you from?"

"Norilsk."

Alexia paused.

"...Don't think I've heard of it before."

"It is in Siberia, north of the Arctic Circle. It's an industrial, mining city, so dirty and polluted that...well, most places have white snow. Ours often falls as black...And the city was built around one of Stalin's former gulags, so on the rare occasion that the snow actually melted...Sometimes while walking, I came across the decomposed skeletons of some of his victims."

Alexia went silent, reverting her gaze back toward her feet.

She should have figured that such a cold, serious person hailed from such a bleak background, but she felt it would be rude if she just assumed this and didn't ask.

Elena could feel that she was making the air unnecessarily uncomfortable, so she decided to elaborate more.

"But...I guess that didn't bother me as much as the lack of opportunity. If you weren't working in the mines, there was virtually...nothing in Norilsk. So after my grandmother died, I hitched my way across Siberia, all the way to Moscow. Found some work with the KGB, but unfortunately it was only a couple of years before the USSR fell."

"Seriously?" Alexia looked wide-eyed at Elena. "H...how old are you, if you don't mind me asking."

"Forty-five, why?"

"WHAT THE F...?!"

Flabbergasted, Alexia looked closer at the woman sitting beside her in the driver's seat.

"Y...Sorry, just, your facial features, I...You look like an early 20-something!"

"Yes, um, it is a trait that most Russian women possess...Until they get past age 60, that is. Then they grow hunched backs and start to look more like your stereotypical _babushkas_...But, anyway, in the chaos that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, some prospered, and some struggled. And unfortunately, as a newer agent, I was one of the ones that struggled. So I, in desperate need of a paycheck, turned to organized crime units."

"Ah, okay...Like, what kinds of organizations?"

"Well, first I sided with the Russian Mafia, but I did not really like it there. They, um...made me do a few things that I'm not...particularly proud of."

She looked down at the floor of her car, appearing greatly ashamed. Alexia looked with empathy at the woman sitting next to her, whose eyes carried a sense of sadness that she had never seen before out of her. For a moment, she thought she even saw her eye glimmer, as if she was about to tear up.

However, the red light they were stopped at soon flashed green, and Elena immediately looked up and accelerated past the intersection.

"...After that, I joined a few other organizations of a much...shadier nature. My last organization was the one that betrayed me. They wanted to bomb Russian civilians in St. Petersburg as revenge for a government raid, and I did not like that. In fact, I vocally protested it...So, one of my superiors took me out to the snowy wilderness and shot me in the back, left me to die. Fortunately I survived, crawled to a nearby village. Knowing they would be looking for me, I crossed the border into Kazakhstan and hid in a dirty hovel for a few months...After all of that, the Skulls, they...they took me in. They had just started branching out into the Eurasian drug and ammo trade, and they needed someone to coordinate it. I was greatly devoted to the crew that saved me, so I graciously volunteered."

"Wow..."

Alexia looked astonished at the woman next to her, whose life story could easily make for a thrilling movie or novel.

Elena, however, looked rather humble after divulging this information. She retained her solid gaze on the road in front of her.

"Erm...Sorry for giving you the full biography, by the way, I-"

"N-no, it's fine, Elena. I-it was a fascinating story, really."

"Hmmph..." grumbled the Russian woman who did not know how to take compliments. "...Well, we're almost at the warehouse, so let's try and focus on that."

Alexia looked up, to see the gigantic warehouse sitting right in front of her, a rusted derelict structure sitting near the southern tip of the city limits. Its tall, imposing structure juxtaposed against the bleak skies above made it appear quite foreboding as Elena parked the car in its vicinity.

Looking just past the mesh iron gate that enclosed its perimeter, Alexia could see a car with a few armed smugglers hanging around, eyes peeled for any intruders.

"So," started Elena as she turned off the engine. "Do you...have a plan as to how we will get in?"

Alexia froze.

She had been so focused during the car ride on getting to know Elena and become her friend that she had completely forgotten to forge a strategy of assault on the warehouse.

Before Alexia could even become embarrassed by her lack of preparedness, Elena had begun to survey the scene, gazing curiously at her surroundings. After not even 5 seconds, she had sufficiently put together a plan.

"Well, the sides of the building look less guarded, so we can probably take that way to the back entrance and infiltrate the facility through there. But we will have to move quick so they do not corner us."

"Y-yeah, yeah that's...I-I was thinking that too...Yeah."

"Wow..."

Elena looked at Alexia as if she was some circus oddity, a strange being that could not be explained by science.

"...What?"

"S-Sorry, it's just...I don't think I've ever seen anyone who was so incredibly bad at lying in my life. It...strikes me as slightly amazing."

"Hey, what do you mean?" she asked defensively.

"You make it so incredibly obvious whenever you are, it kind of makes me think that you... might not even be lying, just making yourself to appear lying when you are in fact telling the truth, but lying about lying about it."

For a long uncomfortable while, the two girls stared at each other, Elena still marveling over Alexia's supposed advanced trickery methods, and Alexia still trying to wrap her head around the scenario that she had put forth.

"...Yeah, um..." Alexia started awkwardly. "I-I'm not...Look, this has gotten weird. Can we just-"

"Yes, y-you're right, I apologize. We can ponder these double negatives at a later time. It just...the more that I think about it, it-it intrigues me..."

"I don't do stuff like that, alright?...Y-you're right, I am a terrible liar. I was raised a Christian, what do you want me to do?"

"I am just saying, Alexia, it would suit you to get better at it. In such a deceitful and cut-throat line of business, even self-proclaimed Christians must learn to bluff properly. Say you are being tortured one day by a rival gang into telling them the whereabouts of your partner, and the only way you can get the pain to stop is to lie about it, and do it convincingly."

"That's...pretty specific," questioned Alexia.

"Happens all too often though. Even under the most barbaric and painful of tortures, we cannot break. Believe me."

Reaching into the back of the car, Elena pulled out a heavy-handed assault rifle, complete with a mounted scope and suppressor and a camo tint.

"However, I must say that I prefer simple brainless jobs like this," she remarked. "Kill the guards, steal their product, and escape. No extra thought required. In fact, I could even say that any amateur teenage author of fanfiction could come up with such a simple, dumb plotline."

"Well, then I would say you've accepted the right job offer," said Alexia, brandishing her beloved Carbine Rifle. "This is pretty much all I do as a newer member. So, if you ever need a reprieve from the mental stresses of your usual work, I'll always have jobs like this available."

There was a pause, and in the silence, she almost expected Elena to crack a smile at her and her innocent, young character.

However, retaining her resting scowl, she simply nodded at Alexia, making it obvious that getting her to smile would take much more effort.

"Alright then. Until you are promoted to a higher position, then...I suppose I could help you out..."

Alexia smiled for her, nodding enthusiastically at her new partner, before they both donned their customary skull masks.

Elena stepped out of the car, and Alexia eagerly followed her older protege across the road, taking cover by a large wooden crate opposite the front of the warehouse.

The front appeared to be very well-guarded from this closer perspective, with guards hanging around the entrance to the building and crowded around a black sedan parked adjacent to it.

 _"Okay,"_ said Elena. _"It appears stealth will not be an option here, so let's hit them hard and quick. No matter what happens, we keep moving."_

 _"Got it. I can handle this."_

 _"Are you sure? You appear a little nervous."_

 _"Hey, it's muggy out here, alright? That's, like, the only reason I'm sweating right now."_

 _"And the reason your hands are trembling?"_

Looking down, she noticed for the first time how much her hands spasmed as they held onto her rifle. This, coupled with her sweaty red face, did cause her to appear highly anxious to Elena, but she did not wish to let her see this side of her. She stuck one of her hands in her pocket to prevent it from shaking so much.

Then, she looked down to see what Elena was holding in her own steady hand: a grenade, much like the one Jess had used on their very first mission together, which she could guess Elena was going to hurl over the fence and blow up the gangster-crowded sedan.

Looking at each other to signal that they were ready, Elena heaved her arm backwards and, like a quarterback, lobbed the grenade over the fence, where it landed with a light clack right next to the car.

In response, Alexia covered her ears. Strangely though, Elena did not take such precautions, and she seemed to question Alexia with her potently cold eyes on why she was doing such a thing.

Pressured by her stare, Alexia abandoned this protection, just in time for her eardrums to be obliterated by the sound of exploding gunpowder and crashing metal, coupled with the shouts of innumerable gangsters who knew very well they were being attacked.

In no time at all, Elena had cleared the front entrance of hostiles and was shouting at Alexia to keep up, even though her ears were still ringing incessantly and she could barely hear the thunderous commotion and carnage all around her.

Running along the narrow strip of concrete on the side of the building, the two girls were bounded on one side by the tall imposing warehouse, and on the other, after a steep drop, by an expanse of dirty brown dock water. They took care of a few more guards stationed on the walkway before making it to the back entrance, where they took cover behind the warehouse's rusted tin wall so they could deal with the smugglers scattered around the back entrance as well as the many, many gangsters inside the warehouse, standing on walkways and on top of tall crates, shooting at the two woman attackers.

They became quite overwhelmed by the immense number of bullets pelting the pavement and structures around them, coming within mere inches of striking them through the thin wall they were taking cover behind. They fired rounds desperately at the people who were so hellbent on killing them for trespassing.

Suddenly, Elena picked up the sounds of shouting coming from the other side, the concrete walkway that they had just traversed.

 _"Guards from the front are coming! You take them, I'll keep pressure inside the warehouse!"_

Nodding readily, she sprang into cover behind a wooden barrel. She peeked carefully over the top, just in time to see the suit-clad smugglers running down the concrete dock, assault rifles aimed right at her.

She ducked just as a bullet cracked the top of the barrel, before returning fire from the side of her shoddy wooden cover. The experienced smugglers managed to get behind heavy metal crates and support beams, making it highly difficult for Alexia to get a decent shot at one of them.

As the pressure on her position persisted and her cover continued to come apart, Alexia reached into her combat vest, fetching a grenade from within its confines. She did not normally favor explosives over her skill with firearms, but with bullets flying right over her head and whizzing past her on both sides of her narrow cover, she felt she had no other choice. She pulled the pin, lobbing it over the top of the barrel, where it landed right in the middle of the gangsters' position.

She covered her ears, anticipating the explosion that was to blow the smugglers to oblivion. A light clack was heard by her side and, to her horror, the grenade that she had just thrown was sitting right beside her on the pavement: the gangsters had seen the frag and had proactively thrown it right back at her.

With the explosive still ticking and seconds away from detonation, a terrified Alexia tossed it back to the gangsters, who were now willing and ready to play the world's most dangerous game of 'hot potato'.

Alexia, however, had no time for such foolishness: as soon as the grenade landed next to the gangsters once again and one of them lunged to pick it up, she aimed at the explosive and gave it a couple of shots with her assault rifle, successfully triggering a premature detonation and blowing the smugglers to pieces, launching some of them into the water.

She was forced to duck as a bloody severed arm came flying out of the explosive cloud, where it landed in the expanse of murky sea water behind her.

Her grenade had done more than just wipe out the gangsters; in the process, she had also ripped a sizable hole into the side of the warehouse, exposing the thin chicken wire that held the entire complex together.

 _"...I thought you wanted to use this place afterwards!"_ questioned Elena.

 _"Sorry,"_ Alexia answered, ashamed. _"I-I wasn't thinking."_

 _"Bah, I wouldn't agonize. The place seems to be coming apart anyway...Quickly, we must move inside."_

Following her trusted ally into the chaos of the warehouse, she quickly took cover beside her, a large cargo crate shielding them from the hundreds of bullets fired from the rusted catwalks above them.

Elena shouted through the pandemonium:

 _"There's a staircase over at the other end that leads up to that office! That's probably where the stash is being held!"_

Suddenly, the strike of an immensely heavy projectile reverberated against the metal crate, sending shockwaves down the two womens' spines.

 _"Shit!"_ exclaimed Alexia. _"...Hey, that sounded a lot like a-"_

 _"Yes, sounds like they do have snipers. So crouch down lower before you get your scalp blown off!"_

Alexia obeyed, eyes lowered in shame.

However, another strike of a sniper bullet against the crate shook her from her ball of anxiety. Both women immediately started looking for the shooter among the many smugglers firing on them from the catwalks.

Eventually, Alexia spotted him, a dark-skinned man in a tailored suit, whose rifle was balanced upon one of his broad shoulders as he peered into the scope and aimed for one of the two women's heads.

He very nearly succeeded in his goal as he squeezed the trigger once more, his bullet sailing through the air and clipping the very edge of the metal box, missing Alexia by mere inches of corrugated metal. Both girls knew they had to take him out, and quickly.

Doing so required Alexia had to peer over the top of the metal box, exposing herself to gunfire. However, this would give her more time to line up such a long-distance shot from all the way across the warehouse.

Using the scope on her Carbine Rifle, while Elena kept guards off of her with her own assault rifle, Alexia soon had the sniper in her sights. He took cover behind one of the metal posts atop the catwalk, but the man was so large that the sliver of metal could not cover his whole body: the side of his head was clearly showing through Alexia's scope.

Still, it was a difficult shot to make, especially from such a distance. Nonetheless, she took a breath, before letting a few bullets fly at the assailant.

Success! He fell over, bleeding and pooling brain matter from his right temple. Before Alexia could quietly celebrate, however, a sudden scalding pain soon gashed her arm, causing her to cry out in agony and fall to the warehouse floor.

Elena looked down at her partner, who held her right arm as if it had been broken. Blood seeped freely from between her fingers as she held the wound, screaming through clenched teeth from the pain.

 _"Let me see, Alexia!"_ she implored her.

Alexia, meanwhile, felt as if a red-hot iron poker had been stabbed into her forearm, setting her nerves and tendons alight. The white-hot burning agony shot deep into her flesh, forcing a few pain-induced tears that were obscured from Elena by her skull mask.

Elena forcibly removed Alexia's hand from the bleeding wound, a trench about a half-inch deep gashed into her arm.

 _"...Okay, looks like the bullet just grazed you."_

 _"SAYS YOU! Aghhh, it hurts like Hell!"_

Elena could still hear the shouts and taunts of gangsters above them. She looked down at Alexia, whose blood now soaked the sleeve of her shirt and was forming a puddle on the warehouse floor.

 _"It will be okay, just keep putting pressure on it!"_ ordered Elena. _"We must get up to that office!"_

She launched up from cover and sprang across the floor, catching a few smugglers by surprise and downing them so that they could advance.

With little choice to follow her trusted partner, she seethed against the pain and held her bleeding arm. Seeing as she had to maintain pressure on the wound, she tucked her carbine rifle into her vest and switched it for her trusty AP pistol, which she awkwardly fired one-handed at any smugglers she saw.

With her left hand clasped over the wound on her right arm, she squeezed the trigger with her right hand, even though she was very much used to having both hands on the gun to make kills. Alexia's handicap allowed Elena to kill the majority of the smugglers in their way.

The pain did not stop, nor did the blood flowing from her wound, which left a dark-red trail along the stairs leading to the warehouse's perched office.

Once they breached the door and killed a couple of smugglers that had taken refuge inside, Alexia was breathing heavily. Once the guards in the office were dead, she was forced to temporarily remove her mask so that she could gulp in air, revealing smudged makeup along with the anxious, fear-ridden eyes that darted feverishly around the room. Such nervousness was brought on not by the copious amount of blood she had lost, but rather the harrowing realization that she had just survived being shot - not just narrowly missed by a bullet, but actually hit and wounded. The continuous burning pain in her upper arm did not assuage the matter; of course she had expected a bullet wound to hurt, just not at the level that she was currently experiencing.

Picking up on her nervousness, Elena sought to diverge her thought process.

 _"There's a first aid kit over there,"_ she said softly. _"Why don't you go bandage yourself up, Alexia, while I look for the coke?"_

Alexia nodded before making her way to the far wall, where a green-tinted box with the universally-recognized white cross hung dependably, most likely a workers' safety requirement before the warehouse had been wrested from its former owners and taken over by criminal elements.

She opened the box before looking down at her wound, the deep trench in her arm that she had been too anxious to take a look at before. Judging by its depth, it would most likely require stitches, but Alexia had neither the time nor the intestinal fortitude to do this at the moment. Instead, she rolled up her sleeve and wrapped her arm in thick layers of sterile gauze wrapping, much like she had done with her hands the night of her first illegal street race.

She still remembered that night clearly: the cheering gangsters, the roar of her Oracle's engine, the foul-mouthed little girl who had rammed her car the second she got the chance. As she continued her work, she had to wonder where that little girl was at the moment. Lamar had informed them that night that they were both new inductees to the crew, yet she had not seen her since the night she had crashed her into a brick wall and wounded her hands so severely.

Noel, she recalled was the girl's name. She couldn't have been older than 8 or 9 years old, yet she knew how to drive cars like a professional street racer. The whole thing struck her as quite strange, yet she did not know why she was thinking of her again. The incident seemed so long ago, even though it had only been two weeks. But during just these two short weeks, so much had happened in her previously-uneventful life that she had not given much thought to her very first night in Los Santos, deeming Noel and her unpleasant attitude towards her as largely irrelevant now that she had made some friends within the crew.

Elena scoured cabinets and drawers all through the office, looking for the product the smugglers had laid down their lives to defend. Finally, in one of the lower drawers of the office table, she found it, a brick of pure white powder encased in a plastic sealant vacuumed of air.

Alexia and Elena stared down at the kilo of cocaine, both looking quite dumbstruck, but it was Alexia's flabbergasted expression that spoke the most as her eyes met the thing that they had fought so hard to claim for themselves.

Elena's masked face looked over at Alexia as she walked over to the window, looking down at the carnage and dead bodies.

"...I...I don't understand," she said quietly. "All these bodies...all this violence...for just...one measly brick of coke?!"

 _"I have to admit, this...this doesn't make much sense to me either,"_ her partner corroborated before searching in a few other desk drawers.

"Why would Madrazo order an assault like this for one key? Surely, there are other more plentiful stashes he could have-"

She stopped when she noticed Elena, struggling to lift two bulging black backpacks from the depths of the drawer.

Opening one of the backpacks revealed that it was laden with identical white bricks, as was the other.

 _"And look down there."_

She followed Elena's pointed finger down to the docks behind the warehouse, where two waiting speedboats were moored.

 _"If I had to guess, there is probably even more stashed in those boats. Why else would Madrazo want them too?"_

"Oh yeah..." said Alexia, smiling at how intuitive her secondary boss was.

Her smile soon evaporated, though, as she heard the screech of tires outside, followed by several male screams and hollers as they charged for the warehouse.

Without saying a word, each girl took one of the cocaine-filled backpacks. Alexia took the lone brick of coke that had been left outside of the backpacks, but found that hers was too full to fit this last brick inside. Elena tried hers, only to find that it did not fit either, explaining why this single brick had been placed on the drawer shelf instead of in one of the backpacks.

A bullet cracked the window behind them. Alexia and Elena both ducked behind the table, staying low as they crouched toward the doorway. Alexia grabbed her skull mask and followed her partner.

Elena led the way down the stairs and onto the warehouse floor. With guns still going off around them, Elena charged through the chaos to the other end of the warehouse, where the cocaine-laden speedboats were stashed.

A few guards stationed on the dock were quickly taken care of, and the women moved towards the two boats. The wooden dock was submerged due to high tide, so Elena jumped into her speedboat from the 10-foot raised concrete platform, rolling as she landed on the floor of her boat.

Taking a deep breath, Alexia jumped into her boat as well. Her landing was rather rough, and she spilled to the ground, loosening her AP pistol and the brick of coke from her grip.

She groaned in pain before sitting upright, moving towards the front of the boat. She heard a splash of water behind her, and looked back too late as a wet hand grabbed her and shoved her down to the floor of the boat.

A partially-burnt smuggler with a torn suit and a wicked grin held his knife to Alexia's face. He knew that she was the one who had thrown the grenade and blown his friends to smithereens, and he smiled as he prepared to take his revenge.

He removed her skull mask, revealing the terrified and quivering young girl underneath. The man couldn't help but smile wider as he saw what a pathetic specimen she was underneath her disguise. Alexia held the man's arm back with both of her own, but her meager upper-body strength slipped as the seconds ticked by, and the knife inched ever closer to her face. His other hand was locked tightly around Alexia's throat, preventing her from calling out to Elena in the next boat for help.

Her legs flailed as she suffocated, with the knife now only millimeters from her eye.

The man laughed.

"Aw man, am I gonna enjoy this..."

She could feel the tip of the blade against her eyelashes, and she knew that he was intent on gouging out her eye while she was still alive.

Elena, meanwhile, was knelt down under the boat's cabin, trying to figure out how to hot-wire the vessel.

 _"Alexia! It was Palomino Coast, right?"_ she called to her partner. _"Where Madrazo set the rendezvous point?"_

She struggled to call for help, but she was turning dark blue as the man steadied his knife.

The man chuckled darkly, speaking now into his small portable earpiece.

"...Palomino Coast. Get there quick, guys."

 _"ALEXIA! Did you hear me-"_

She looked up, to see a strange man holding her un-masked partner by the throat, a knife stuck dangerously close to her eyeball.

"I wouldn't get any closer if I was you," said the man, smiling nefariously. "Or...Alexia, was it? Is gonna have a real hard time seein' outta this eye."

Elena stood perfectly still, for she did not have any guns close enough that she could draw at the man without him hurting Alexia.

Tears streamed down her friend's face as her lungs screamed for air. The smuggler only held her tighter during the standoff.

Her Russian partner remained strangely calm watching the scenario unfold. Then, she took a deep breath and started:

 _"Whatever grudge you may have, do not take it out on a pathetic weakling like her...Why don't you fight me instead?"_

The man whistled.

"Wow, way to talk about your friend right there. She, uh, seems to be at a loss for words right now, but I'm already within easy knife's range, so..."

 _"What, big strong man, scared of taking on someone closer to their size? She is but a puny little child, but me? I have been taking on bullies like you for many years now. I know a coward when I see one, and you are spineless like the common jellyfish. Afraid to hit a real woman. It is pure cowardice."_

"Hey, say what you want about jellyfish, but jellyfish sting, sister...So why shouldn't I sting this fucking scum right here?" he asked angrily. "She blew my friends to smithereens while I watched!"

 _"And I once watched my entire squadron killed by Taliban snipers in the desert. Trust me, kid, you're nothing special."_

"Okay, you know what, bitch?"

The man growled before tossing Alexia onto the floor of the boat. She coughed and retched violently before graciously taking in breaths, refilling her lungs with precious oxygen.

She looked back to see her former captor stepping into Elena's boat, fists raised in fighting stance.

"I'll take you right now. C'mon."

Seeing her partner, who stood about a foot shorter than the large man she was about to face off with, she instinctively reached for her Carbine Rifle lying next to her.

 _"No, Alexia,"_ Elena stopped her. _"Let me handle this."_

"Yeah, squirt," the smuggler agreed. "You interfere in any way, I'll cut Rusky girl's eye out and then make you eat it."

Elena scoffed.

 _"I'd like to see you try, big man."_

With that, Elena pulled off her mask, allowing her straight brown hair to fall in her face. Alexia recognized this as the first time she had even seen a hair out of place on her capable partner's head.

Another thing she had never seen Elena do was remove her leather jacket, revealing arms of pure muscle crisscrossed by a few faded scars. Her slender torso was covered by a jet-black tank top that was tucked into her leather pants.

She raised her fists into a fighting stance, and the smuggler soon did the same, loosening his tie around his neck.

"Y'know," he opined. "I almost feel bad that I'm gonna have to wreck that pretty face of yours."

Alexia could not see clearly, but she could have sworn that something resembling a smile crossed Elena's lips.

"In that case, I urge you not to hold back. Let's make this a fair fight."

"I like the way you think...Too bad that, after I'm done with you, your brains are gonna be nothin' but a slimy pulp under my knuckles."

"All this talk, and yet...You are so very hesitant to prove your words with action."

"Oh yeah...?"

The smuggler's face hardened, and he advanced toward Elena in the rocking speedboat, his fists raised for a vicious fight to the death.

He locked eyes with his opponent, each anticipating the others' first move. All Alexia could do was watch the ensuing battle from her speedboat, cursing herself for being such a pathetic weakling. If Elena were to get hurt, then she knew that it would be all her fault, for dragging her here in the first place, for not having the strength to deal with the smuggler herself or to do anything on this mission without her partner guiding her along like a toddler every step of the way.

As regret began to fester in her stomach, the man took his first jab, bringing his fist towards Elena's neck.

His swung fist impacted nothing but open air. Alexia was forced to rub her eyes afterwards, because her partner had moved so fast that it was like she had teleported behind her opponent before giving him a hard spinning roundhouse kick to his back.

The man stumbled forward, confused and scared beyond belief. Elena, however, kept the blows coming, again and again, never leaving her opponent time to recover.

The smuggler fell to the floor, and the boat rocked violently side-to-side, but Elena amazingly kept her balance as she stood over the man, who was cowering in fear at her presence.

"Complete novice!" she spat at him. " _Tupitsa,_ you call yourself a fighter?! You left yourself completely open! Even my grandmother could fight better than you! Pathetic!"

 _"P...please...please..."_ he begged of Elena, who stood tall over him like a black shadow of death.

Elena, however, grabbed him by his hair, raising her up to her level, while Alexia watched in complete stunned silence.

Her gaze reflected no light as she looked into the smuggler's quivering eyes. She then glanced back at Alexia, seeing the deep purple choke bruises that the man had left on her neck, and the blood-stained bandage around her arm.

She turned back to the man, blood boiling in her veins. She spoke in a low, sinister tone of voice to the fear-stricken man.

"...And this...This is what you get for laying your filthy hands on _my_ friend..."

She raised her fist back, before striking the smuggler square in his jawbone. A mist of blood and teeth sailed through the air, landing in the water and along the boat's floor, as the smuggler fell down with a resounding thud.

He managed to steady himself and stand up, facing Elena. Blood ran down his dress shirt and from his nose, and his face was swollen from the multiple blows he had endured. Elena's knuckles themselves had turned purple from hitting the man with such force.

 _"Wha...what the hell are you?"_

She narrowed her eyes, locking her gaze straight at the terrified man.

"Elena Volkov. And I...am from Russia."

She ran at the man for delivering one final blow, a flying kick to the middle of his chest, fracturing his sternum. The smuggler flew completely backwards from the impact, splashing into the water. Elena watched air bubbles rise to the surface, before they finally stopped, and the man did not resurface from the watery depths.

Elena sighed, wiping sweat from her brow, before casually rubbing her bruised and bleeding knuckles.

Alexia was stricken by utmost shock looking at her partner, whom she now considered as more capable and frigidly brutal than ever. But, aside from that, she recognized much more pressing matters to attend to at the moment.

"Elena..."

Her partner gazed upwards at her smaller accomplice, who looked quite anxious.

"...They know where we're going. That guy talked into his radio, told his friends we'd be at Palomino Coast."

"Damn...We'd best get down there quickly then."

Alexia did not hesitate, climbing into the seat of her boat and cranking the engine.

"How comfortable are you with piloting a boat?!" asked Elena as she started her own craft.

"Uh...not at all," she answered meekly.

"Don't worry, fundamentally it's like driving a car. Except the surface is a lot more uneven, with the waves and everything, but...ah, just don't flip over and you'll be fine!"

Without providing further explanation, Elena sped off down the water, leaving a nervous Alexia to follow behind.

As the two boats traversed out of the city limits and into deeper ocean, Alexia grew more anxious. If her boat did indeed flip over, she would most certainly be doomed because of her inability to swim. The waves out at sea were much bigger than those closer to shore, and sprayed water mist at Alexia as they crashed into the hull of her boat.

Looking down at the water around her, she could have sworn that she saw the dorsal fins of a couple of sharks following her craft, making her even more anxious about controlling her boat.

"Look! There they are!"

Following Elena's gaze, Alexia spotted two other craft on the horizon, speedboats identical to theirs, making their way up the eastern coast and towards the rendezvous point.

"We must stop them before they reach Madrazo's people!"

Elena shifted her boat into second gear, as did her loyal partner behind her. Skidding across waves and avoiding jagged rocks that peeked out from the water, the two girls struggled to catch up to the smugglers. Each of their boats had two men onboard, a driver and a gunning passenger, giving them an edge against their pursuers' one-woman boats.

Once they were within firing distance, the two sides viciously shot at each other on the open water. However, hitting their targets was not an easy task at all because of the constant waves that smacked against their vessels and jostled them around in the ocean.

Alexia, frustrated at not being able to get a decent shot with her AP pistol, resorted to another means of annihilating her opponents: she reached into her bulletproof vest and grabbed a sticky bomb, an explosive item that she had recently purchased at Ammu-Nation. This device's capabilities were much more controlled than those of a grenade because, instead of a timer, the thrower of the explosive had to activate it with a remote control before it would detonate. It could also stick to virtually any surface, which suited the girl who wished to chuck the sticky bomb onto the hull of a smuggler's boat.

In this moment, she couldn't help but think of Jess, who was always so fond of these forms of explosives. She couldn't help but think that, if she knew what she was up to right now, fighting a drug gang courageously on the open water, she would be proud of her for having taken initiative and asked Elena to join her, despite her crippling anxieties.

Tightening her grip on the sticky bomb, she threw back her arm like a quarterback and, with a grunt of immense effort, chucked the bomb as far as she could possibly throw it.

After sailing through the air, she could clearly see the bomb, attached firmly to the stern of the smugglers' boat. The passenger of the speedboat had heard the noise and looked back to investigate.

The explosive blew up directly in his face, incinerating him and his partner as Alexia grinned evilly, adrenaline racing through her veins.

Seeing as one of their partners was down due to explosives, the smugglers in the remaining boat heightened their awareness: the next bomb that Alexia threw was hit by a bullet in mid-air, detonating it prematurely.

Alexia coughed as she passed through the smoke and debris from the mid-air explosion. To minimize the risk of a smuggler shooting her sticky bomb while it was still in her hand, she decided to refrain from further fireworks, returning fire with her pistol once more.

Elena, not soon to be counted out, rammed the smugglers' boat and unleashed hellfire on the well-dressed men in the cabin. The passenger reached to return fire, but he soon slumped over dead in his seat, dead from one of Elena's bullets.

The last remaining smuggler reached desperately for his gun. The waves had calmed quite a bit, since the gunfight had passed into a shallow lagoon on the coast.

With Elena to the smuggler's right and Alexia directly behind him, the two girls simultaneously fired their weapons, hitting the smuggler with multiple rounds before he could even return fire His boat veered out of control, hitting a rock and sailing in mid-air before landing upside-down in the water.

The two partners sailed victoriously out of the lagoon, Alexia laughing and whooping at their victory while Elena continued her usual scowl, watching out for any more enemies.

Seeing such a humble celebration (or lack thereof) from her partner, Alexia decided to tone down a bit. Doing jobs with Elena was not quite as fun as going on missions with Jess, but she had to admit, the woman was serious and extremely capable in a gunfight. And, luckily, she happened to like her, despite her awkwardness and inexperience, so she could definitely entail her services in later jobs.

Peering down the coast a ways, Alexia could clearly see a yellow smoke trail emanating from a tiny beach between the mountains, and a few offroad cars parked nearby.

"That must be Madrazo's men!"

"Yes, looks like it! You, uh, said he pays well?"

"Yeah, extremely well! The guy is loaded, man, me and Jess have seen his house before!"

"I guess I'll take your word then, Alexia...Let's moor the boats just off the beach."

She did so, lowering her speed and stopping her speedboat just behind Elena's, in the shallow sandy area just off of the tiny secluded beach.

Alexia and Elena dismounted their vessels, then splashed through knee-deep water to meet with Madrazo's loyal men.

" _Horale, ellas!_ " one of them called, a dark-skinned man in a soccer jersey. "You, uh, got the stuff, man?"

The girls plopped the two black backpacks down onto the sand without saying a word. For good measure, Alexia also tossed the lone brick of coke they had initially found onto the pile as well.

"Niiice...Hey Javier, check the boats will you? Jefe said there'd be some in there too."

Another man did so, running to the boats and looking for the hidden cocaine stash.

The Hispanic man who initially greeted them smiled slyly, looking over the two women.

"You know, uh...n-no offense or anything, but I really didn't expect you to be girls... _El Jefe_ told us you were tough people, and that was about it, but..."

Seeing the incredulous glares they were giving him, the man laughed nervously. They wordlessly agreed to remain completely silent to increase their intimidation factor.

The man averted his eyes before reaching into his pocket.

"Well, uhh, here you go, for all your hard work, eh?...Buy your girl something nice- I-I mean, _yourselves_ something nice. Heh...heheh. Please don't hurt me."

" _Ramon!_ " called the man out at sea. _"Looks like the stash is under the floor, eh! We gonna have to bring it to the dock, strip it down!"_

"Alright, more free scrap metal!" Ramon cheered. "Anyway, _chicas,_ we better split up. You can use the dune buggy to get back to the city. We'll take the boats."

Two other men boarded the speedboats, as did Ramon, who gave the girls a smile and a flashing peace sign as they sped away down the water.

Alexia and Elena looked back at the aforementioned buggy, a rusted old vehicle whose capability of climbing steeply uphill was highly questionable at best. Nonetheless, they both climbed in, Elena taking the drivers' seat.

She started the engine, and the archaic-looking vehicle started surprisingly well, climbing the mountain face with ease until they reached the summit, at which point Elena was able to maneuver onto a paved road and start a route back to the Black Skull compound.

Counting the cash in her hand revealed a full $20,000, which was quite a good sum for a job, but still not quite what she needed to pay off her substantial debts.

She turned to her partner, whose cold eyes remained locked on the road. The buggy handled quite smoothly, making precision turns with ease. Perhaps, thought Alexia, the Black Skulls could even modify it somehow and use it in a future mission or raid.

Alexia looked back down awkwardly at her blood-soaked bandage, knowing that she should say something.

"...Well, um...that...that was fun."

When uncomfortable silence greeted her observation, Alexia winced and cursed herself for having spouted something so infantile and stupid.

"Yes...yes, I agree. In a way, it was quite fun."

Alexia glanced back at Elena, whose eyes reflected much more calm and serenity as she kept her focus on the road.

"...I, um...I haven't done anything like that in quite a while. So, I suppose it was good to get the old heart pumping, as you Americans would say. If I'm not too busy that is...I would be glad to accompany you again sometime, whenever you need help."

"I...Thanks, Elena. I'd really love that."

Alexia blushed and smiled, dimples forming on her cheeks.

Then, without really thinking, she reached out and touched Elena's arm, leaning against her friend and snuggling into her as she drove.

"...Uhm..."

She glanced upward to see Elena staring down at her uncomfortably, indicating that she did not appreciate this friendly gesture in any way.

Alexia withdrew, terrified that she had somehow offended her.

"Oh, uh...s-sorry," she murmured.

"Nothing against you, I just...I don't like touching...or being touched...It's more of a personal thing, really."

"That's, uh...I-I can respect that. We all have our quirks about us...I have my shyness and anxiety, among other things."

"There is much I have not told you about me yet, Alexia...Once we become closer, perhaps I will share some of them with you. But for now, let us enjoy the peace and quiet of the victory, yes?"

Alexia honored her request for silence, smiling as she looked out the open side of the buggy and the scenes of nature zooming past.

Elena, meanwhile, decided to light up a cigarette, its wisps of chemical-laden smoke fading in air as the dune buggy sped down the road and entered Los Santos.


	19. Bigger Opportunities

"Grr, what's the matter with you, you fucking degenerate?! You can't even do one simple push-up?!"

Alexia directed these hurtful words not at another person, but rather at her own feeble and sweaty self as she laid face-down on the floor of her living room. She was clad in workout clothes, a tank top and baggy gym shorts, and had been exercising for hours, trying to build muscle in her scrawny arms that were so incapable of defending herself.

Ever since she was attacked by a smuggler and very nearly had the life wrung out of her, she had been painfully reminded each day of how little physical strength she had. Compared to Jess or Elena, she was incredibly small and pathetic, and she knew she had to build up her muscles before a time came when someone else would not be around to defend her.

The problem with this goal was that Alexia had never exercised much before in her life. She had not played sports in school or indulged in any outdoor activities besides hunting. Therefore, she had since turned to the Internet and had come across numerous workout routines promising 'instant abs' and 'fast muscles', which she found to be promising enough.

She had skipped her usual breakfast of sugary cereal and had spent the morning doing jumping jacks, crunches, squats, and anything else that was recommended by her web search results. Her muscles burned, her heat beat violently within her chest, sweat dripped from her forehead and created a puddle on the hardwood floor. Eventually, she had gotten to doing push-ups, but each time she attempted this exercise, she found she could not perform a full push-up without her arms trembling and her falling on her face in a sweat-covered heap.

Seething with anger, she tried yet again to do it the correct way. With her back completely straight and elbows pointing backward, just as was depicted in the diagrams she had found online, she again lowered her body and tried to touch her chest to the hardwood floor.

Her arms, bent at a perfect 90-degree angle, started to shake once more under her weight. With her chest only inches from touching the floor, she struggled to lower her body just a little more...closer...closer...

Success! But before she could raise herself back up and complete the push-up, her exhausted muscles gave out, her arms folded underneath her, and she was left in a crumpled heap on her living room floor.

Her breaths were extremely heavy and wheezing. Every single muscle was sore. She tried to get up, but she had pushed herself so hard that her body even refused to allow her this, and so she lied ignominiously on the hardwood floor.

With a groan of excruciating pain, she managed to roll over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling of her luxury apartment. What a pathetic, puny child she was, just as Elena had said to the smuggler who had tried to kill her. She would never be able to grow muscles or defend herself like her capable Russian friend could if she could not even do one push-up.

She sighed despondently, her eyes directing themselves toward her scrawny form. Ever since that day, Alexia had found herself feeling more and more depressed, not just by her lack of muscles, but at the underlying feeling of doubt that ate like corrosive acid at her gut.

What if, she thought, she was not cut out for this kind of career at all? What if she was still retaining too much of her childhood self to ever be a good criminal mastermind?

Sure she was relatively new to the job, but even newer criminals could not be this incredibly naive. In many ways, she was still very much a child, putting her trust in others wholeheartedly without fully questioning their motives, optimistically anticipating the outcome of jobs and battles without looking at the cold hard facts, being too small and weak to ever put up a good fight in battle. All of these, plus the constant burden of her social anxiety, caused these cumbersome doubts to fester in her mind until she became angry at herself, angry at her many faults. It was these very feelings of animosity and self-hate that had sparked her furious workout that morning. She felt she had to punish herself for her insolence, because if she continued retaining these deficiencies within her own self, she would most certainly end up dead soon.

Now, however, as she laid completely still on the floor, refilling her exhausted lungs with oxygen, Alexia came to realize how stupid she had been over the past few hours. Glancing at her arms did not reveal any extra muscle gained. The only thing that had resulted from this manic exercise was even more emotional and physical pain.

She winced as she came across the scar on her right forearm, now sealed with 5 black stitches poking out of her skin. The doctor who had put them in for her while she closed her eyes squeamishly had explicitly told her not to push herself too hard for a few days afterward, but she had ignored him. Now, she was paying the price, as the pain in her wound had reignited and intensified the burning in her muscles.

 _"Jesus Christ...I...I really gotta calm down..."_ she said to herself in a hoarse, dry voice.

Noticing how incredibly parched her throat was, she steadied herself on the floor before pushing herself upright, then standing upright. Her whole body ached terribly as she performed these formerly-simple tasks, as if her muscles were reprimanding her for pushing them too far and relishing in the vengeance they took on her.

She stumbled over to the kitchen, her legs feeling like they were trudging knee-deep through hot coals and needles. Wincing with every step, she eventually managed to pour herself a tall glass of tap water, which she downed in under five seconds. Still thirsty, she poured herself another, gasping desperately for breath between gulps of the life-giving liquid.

She grabbed a nearby towel to wipe the thick covering of sweat from her face and underarms. By this point, her heart rate had slowed from its violent allegro, her body temperature had decreased, and perhaps most importantly, she was able to think rationally once again.

Alexia's intelligence, of course, was one of her biggest strengths as a person. When not overwhelmed with emotions and anxiety, she had quite a large capacity for working through problems in her mind. As she prepared her famished stomach a loaded pastrami sandwich, she mulled over these things that had caused her to break out in such feverish anger and force herself to over-exert her body.

As she came across each of them, she found that the solutions to her personal faults were actually quite simple, even though they had seemed so overwhelming when grouped altogether. Therefore, she decided to try to tackle teach dilemma individually in her head.

She obviously could not gain her desired muscles overnight or through manic, hours-long workouts designed to punish herself. Instead, a healthy, controlled exercise regimen across several weeks had a much better potential for producing significant results. She just had to hope that another huge man did not try to choke her to death before she had learned to properly defend herself.

As for her other faults, she surmised that these issues, like her lack of bodily strength, were something that took patience and practice to overcome. To get over her nervousness in social situations would require stepping out of her comfort zone and talking to people, something she had been doing already these past few weeks. Her uncle would be continuing to teach her how to lead the Skulls, which would help immensely.

Her lack of experience, also, was far from being a permanent handicap. In fact, upon reflecting once again on her experiences since arriving in Los Santos, she found that she was a far more experienced criminal than from when she first stepped off the plane at the airport. She had committed enough crimes during just this short time-span that she would certainly be executed if she ever was caught.

Of course, with all the dangerous crime lords in the streets, she realized the San Andreas law enforcement was the least of her worries. If she ever was to succeed in the criminal world, she would have to work her way through the innumerable people who would stab her in the back the second they had the chance.

People like Simeon Yetarian were obviously crooks who couldn't be trusted with things too big in scope. In fact, criminal elements as a whole were an untrustworthy and deceitful lot, only concerned about themselves. She knew that Martin Madrazo did not pay her so much out of the goodness of his soul, but rather because he wanted to use her to handle future problems that arose in his organization. She had stolen drug shipments before where the bricks of cocaine were deceivingly crafted from drywall, an incredibly dirty tactic designed to rip off rival gangs.

Even her uncle was rather selfish at times, as evidenced by his holding out on refusing to help Jess, making Alexia have to pay for all of her care in the end. This, however, could be excused as an action spurred by the ongoing gang war. He was resolute in looking out for the crew that he led, which made him miles more morally just than the majority of successful criminals. Unlike her, he often recognized when people were disingenuous and refused to give them any help if he suspected anything of the sort.

One day, she hoped, she would become as intuitive and wise as her uncle instead of the trusting, sheltered Mid-Western kid she was. She knew she could not do it overnight, but rather had to learn through experience.

Alexia thought heavily about these things upon her comfy leather sofa, eating her sandwich at a comfortable distance from the expensive upholstery. In order to lighten the mood, she decided to flip on her giant-screen television. The slumbering giant wakened once again, presenting its owner with fantastical giant images.

Greeting her was the smiling face of an old man. The man whose death she had caused last week.

 _"Up next, remembering Hef Hilton,"_ announced a female news anchor. _"Examining the life of this cultural icon and the circumstances of his untimely-"_

The channel was immediately changed to the other station. An old episode of Gordon Moorehead Rides Again, a cartoon that was relatively light-hearted but terribly outdated, flashed across her big-screen TV.

While she did not particularly care for this cartoon, she would much rather watch this than be horribly reminded of the fact she and Jess had killed a high-profile celebrity, albeit not directly. Still, her stomach wrenched and her guilty conscience was revived upon seeing the man's face once again.

She had tried to convince herself in the days since the incident that he was nothing but an old pervert who had tried to get Jess to sleep with him, but she could not shake the memories of Hef Hilton or his mansion no matter how hard she tried. Out of the innumerable murder she had commited in just these past few weeks, Mr. Hilton's was by far the most high-profile.

Therefore, it attracted more attention than the death of some random Ballas gangster. Once again, doubt had began to fester in her gut, threatening to spill over into a full-blown panic attack as she sat on the couch.

She began to wonder what new developments in the case of his death had surfaced. Had the police found out who it was that stole the cars? She knew that multiple people had seen her and Jess at the party, making it all the more likely that they had somehow been identified by law enforcement.

Eventually, her stresses built up to the point where she changed the channel back. Another face greeted her, the despondent, morose complexion of the man who had allowed them into the party and accidentally knocked her into the pool with his beach ball.

Alexia's stomach turned over with unbearable guilt. She saw the title beneath the man that identified his name as Keith Hilton. Hef's grandson.

 _"And what all do you remember about that day, Keith?"_ the reporter gently asked him. _"What did these two girls look like?"_

 _"Man, I-I just..."_

He seemed to be unable to finish his sentence as a wave of renewed grief flushed over him. He buried his face deeply in his hands.

 _"I...I'm sorry,"_ said Keith in a broken voice.

 _"It's ok, take your time."_

The reporter's hand gave Keith a tissue, which he gratefully took to blow his nose and dab at his reddened eyes.

 _"Well...I mean...I-it's still all kinda surreal, y'know? I went to the front gate and saw these two girls, who looked the...complete opposite of each other really. One was tall, blonde-headed, had a really hot body as I remember...A-and the other one was short, black hair, bug-eyed, pale. That chick was creepy as hell, l-like a vampire, almost."_

The man shuddered on-screen at the memory. Meanwhile, Alexia grimaced as she watched him on the screen.

 _"But...They were just, standing there, messing around with the keypad. Me being all naiive, I thought they were just late arrivals...Okay, I dunno if you know this, but female adult entertainment stars aren't exactly...the smartest lot. They sometimes forget things like how to get into the mansion or open a door or pay their bills. I'm usually there to help 'em out and then most likely sleep with them afterwards. So I just thought these two were just late arrivals who had forgotten the gate password or something...If only I knew the murderous witches I was truly dealing with..."_

 _"What happened after you let these girls in, Keith?"_

 _"...Nothin' for a while. They just hung out, mingled I guess, acted really conspicuous. I was playing around with some guys and I ended up accidentally pushing the creepy-looking girl into the pool. She, uh, still had her clothes on, and...man, I'm telling you, it was like a vampire meets holy water. She was flailing around in the water like it was toxic to her or something...Maybe she really was some weird vampire chick or something."_

"Well, fuck you too, spray-tan!" Alexia found herself yelling at her television.

Then, as her shout reverberated around her empty apartment, she came to remember that she was the one who had killed this man's grandfather in cold blood, so she couldn't exactly blame him for talking less-than-politely about her and Jess.

Feeling guilty once again, Alexia lowered her eyes in shame. She leaned back and resolved to remain quiet, lest she miss an important detail concerning the case.

 _"And after that, you see,"_ he continued, but was starting to lose control of his emotions. _"The hotter blonde girl jumped in and rescued the creepy girl. Which was...kind of a good thing for a while, because she was wearing this really thin crop top that got all see through-"_

 _"TV-appropriate, Keith,"_ the reporter interjected.

 _"R-right, right, sorry...'Course, now that I think about it, that was purely a ploy, to distract us. 'Cause shortly afterwards she took her ugly friend to SUPPOSEDLY go change their clothes...Next thing I knew I was watching them drive off with two of Gramps' favorite cars. I recall one of them he banged Pamela Drake in back in the day-"_

 _"Again, TV-appropriate, Keith,"_ reminded the news anchor, more sternly.

 _"How was that not appropriate? I didn't even mention anything."_

 _"Yes, but we are a family-friendly network. Children might be watching."_

 _"They gotta find out some time! Y-you honestly think us younger people even watch the news?! No, we don't! All we care about are our friends' stories on Snapmatic and whatever shitty meme has hit the Internet!...I know Gramps used to watch you guys, but he can't now, since he's dead of a massive heart attack! Those girls are fucking evil, man!"_

 _"C-cut Camera Two, cut-"_

 _"Don't you fuckers do anything, or I'll cut off all your Playdude subscriptions! I have that power now!"_

From Alexia's perspective, this seemed to stop the camera technicians, as an increasingly-disturbed Keith remained on-screen.

Red-faced and breathing heavily, he turned his eyes straight toward the camera.

 _"...As I was saying...these chicks, they're evil, man. The sooner their crazy bitch asses are thrown in jail to rot, the better. They...killed my Grandpa...I know he brought joy to millions of lonely men and boys around the world, but...to me especially, he was an inspiration. He taught me that any man with a camera and connections to Vinewood's elite could make it in the big time...I remember when he took me fishing out in his yacht one time, with a few of his concubines. Needless to say, that was the day I became a man. But shortly before that happened, the two of us were sitting out on the deck watching the sunset, and Gramps said to me, 'Keith...You can do anything you set your heart to. Smokin' hot babes desperate for money are just the start of your success in life. You have your head in the clouds, but you also gotta keep your ass low to the ground, to keep from gettin' washed-up and forgotten like my brother. I see the potential in you to run a great business empire. So party it up while you're young, son. Just don't overdo it. Now, go in the next room, and you get you a fine slice of that...of...of that...'"_

Before he could finish his sentence, Keith began to choke up. His face was gripped with raw emotion. His form trembled, and he eventually broke into heart-wrenching sobs that expressed inconsolable grief, laden with sorrowful tears that trailed down his reddened face. The very atmosphere seemed to grow heavier as Alexia listened to these powerful cries from a man that had just lost his biggest inspiration...and she was the one responsible.

The scene on the television changed from that of a sobbing, broken man to the solemn face of another female news reporter.

 _"Hef Hilton will most surely be missed. We at Weazel News apologize for any emotional distress that the language of this interview must have caused. All pussies can report their complaints to our news station at weazel news dot com. Police have released preliminary sketches of the two suspects accused of the adult icon's death."_

There, on the screen, was presented two black-and-white police sketches: one showed a nearly-perfect drawing of Jess with her former head of angelic blonde hair, smiling goofily; the other drawing depicted Alexia, but with spikier black hair, dark bags and shadows under her eyes, sunken hollow cheeks, and a vicious scowl, making her appear more like the ugly vampiric girl that Keith had described her as.

 _"If anyone has information on the whereabouts or identities of these two suspects, please contact the Los Santos Police Department."_

 _"In other news, a local woman with a phobia of mayonnaise has achieved Internet stardom by bathing in 700 pounds of-"_

The news reporter on the screen was cut off, and Alexia dropped the remote she had been holding in her hand. The girl stared in shock down at the floor of her luxury apartment, whose surface shone so brightly from an earlier cleaning she had done that she could clearly see her anxious, feverish face in its reflection.

By killing Hef Hilton, she realized that she had also taken so many things from the man she had watched break down on national television. He was not only his beloved grandfather, but was also a trusted older mentor, just as Alexia's uncle was for her. She knew that, upon his death, her grief would be just as physically debilitating as that she had just watched from Keith Hilton.

She thought about the other people she had killed during her short time in the city: surely, they must have had families that had actively mourned their deaths. The gangsters and drug smugglers she had murdered could have also been husbands, brothers, or even fathers outside of their illicit line of work. They could have had dreams beyond the criminal realm, individual personalities that made each one a human being. But, in the midst of a heated gun battle, she had not contemplated such deep issues, as her fight for survival caused her to gun them down, sometimes 50 in a single shootout, with cold, calculated accuracy.

Such actions could be deemed necessary in battle. But it did not stop the onslaught of emotions that battered her psyche afterwards, leaving her ridden with suffocating guilt.

She choked on the lump that had formed in her throat, and soon enough felt hot stinging tears form in her eyes. She covered her face with her hands, as if to hide from the restless spirits of the people she had killed.

The guilt of the hundreds of phantoms rushed upon her like a wave. She broke down completely upon her luxury sofa, holding her head and screaming into a pillow to muffle the sound.

Alexia lied in a crumpled heap, sobbing into the pillow, the tidal wave of remorse that had overcome her form threatening to sweep her away completely, away from Los Santos so that she could spend the rest of her life repenting for her sins.

The more that she thought about it, though, the more she realized how impossible it was to quit now: her uncle and so many others had entrusted her with too many things for her to just get up and run. Even aside from this, the way Alexia saw it, this gruesome line of work was virtually the only way that she could make a living at all. All other jobs were simply unavailable for someone with her history and anxious inclinations. Simply put, she was in much too deep in the criminal underground to ever lead a normal civilian life. To survive, it was either kill or be killed. There was no other alternative.

She lifted her face from the pillow, now left moist with tears. The girl burdened by sin and regret took deep, prolonged breaths. Screaming into the pillow had helped, at least temporarily, to calm herself down, but she knew that she could not live with this debilitating guilt for the rest of her days.

In times of extreme internal crisis, in the past, she had only turned to one source: not her mother or a therapist, but someone who had been with her since her very soul had come into existence. It was this omnipresent entity who had created her in His image, and it was Him who she had to talk to in order to sort out her morals.

After catching her breath for a moment, Alexia climbed off her couch, then got down on her knees, resting her elbows on the comfy cushions. Clasping her hands together, she bent her head down to rest on her elbows and shut her eyes tightly.

Then, without thinking how she was going to address her Creator, she began:

"...God...I-I realize that it's been a while since we've last talked. I apologize for this, Lord, I was...I, your loyal subject, was too ashamed to face You..."

She could feel the guilt rising from the pit of her stomach, the toxic sludge building in her throat.

"...I know you profess to love all of your children, and I most certainly believe you...And I know that, as of late, I have been greatly pushing the boundaries of Your everlasting love. I do not expect You to listen to this message, Lord, for I know that my sins are great, and my loyalty to You put into question. But...I humbly ask that you hear my words, Lord...The words of a girl with blood on her trembling hands...I have always put my faith in you, Father. Despite my insurmountable sins, that faith has not darkened. I ask you, my Lord, to please help me through this time of crisis...To guide me through the mountains of blood that I have shed...To be the light in this world of darkness...To give me a solution as to how I will continue to please you, despite my occupation calling for me to sin against your Commandments continuously."

"Several times in the Old Testament, You commanded the Israelites to slay their enemy aggressors. While I do not wish to compare my situation to the trials of Your chosen people, I bring this up so that my situation may be examined in another light. In my job, I am a slayer of men...Members of rival organizations that threaten my friends and the only family I have left that cares for me...In short, I only kill those who transgress against me. Those who do not, civilians, passerby...Those I do not and will never ever target for senseless murder with the weapon I handle so proficiently. And if I ever end up killing a civilian in cold blood, then it will affect me immensely, as my recent indirect killing of Mr. Hef Hilton has riddled me with guilt and repentance. Father, You will pass whatever judgement you deem worthy of my disposition. As a mere mortal, I can do nothing but beg for your grace. I plead you, my Lord, to hear my promise...That I _will not_ kill those who do not antagonize me or my crew...And I ask You to please forgive me for causing the death of Mr. Hilton, as well as the other civilians I may have killed in the heat of battle without realizing it. And I hope that you will also forgive me for the slaying of other men and women, even if they are my enemies. Please, God...In Your name I pray...Amen..."

Alexia opened her eyes, looking around her completely-silent living room. The ceiling fan whirred just above her head, its blades spinning in concentric circles over the desperate girl pleading with her Creator for leniency.

Her muscles still burning, she climbed back onto the couch, letting the spinning blades calm her troubled conscience. The fan, as well as her labored breaths, were the only discernible sounds in this luxury abode hundreds of feet above the city streets, overlooking a calm, cloudless expanse of peaceful blue sky.

Alexia averted her eyes to this, and the tall skyscrapers that looked so close to her window that she felt like she could reach out and touch them. She half-expected for some miracle sign from God to manifest in the air and assure her that he had gotten her message, but of course, no such sign was visible, however unobstructed the sky was.

Jess, she realized, was probably looking up at this same beautiful sky on the other side of town. She could not visit her, per the rehab center's rules, so she had to make do with dreaming of her being beside her still.

Closing her eyes, she silently prayed to her Creator to bestow Jess with good blessings and a speedy recovery during her own time of crisis.

She sat in reflective silence for a few moments before her telephone started to ring: the call came from her landline, virtually the only outdated utility in her apartment, which no one except her uncle ever used to call her.

She rose from her reclined position and stumbled over to the phone, yet the caller ID revealed a number that was not her uncle's. In fact, she did not recall ever being in contact with this particular phone number, and wondered why she was receiving a call on her seldom-used landline.

The phone continued to ring, patiently waiting for her to answer. Realizing that, at worst, it could be people trying in vain to coerce her into a scam, she picked up the receiver to answer the mystery caller.

"Hello?"

 _"Hello,"_ replied a man with a nasal-sounding voice. _"I'm glad I could get a hold of you. You hesitated before picking up a mysterious call on your landline, I can appreciate that. Confirms what I've seen and heard about you."_

"...Who _are_ you?" she asked incredulously.

 _"Who, me?"_ said the man with a laugh. _"Ohh, well, I'm just a creepy guy that's interested in you-"_

Alexia hung up on him, placing the phone back on the receiver.

She had not the foggiest idea who this man was, or how he seemed to know so much about her, but the thought of her having a stalker worried her greatly. She was not attractive physically, so the stalker must be interested in something other than her body: quite possibly, her connections to the Skulls were what he was truly after.

Less than a minute later, the phone rang again. Deciding that she should know more about the mystery caller so that she could get him to stop from stalking her, she picked up and answered once again.

 _"Err, sorry, that...probably came out wrong, didn't it?"_

"Yeah, I kinda figured...What's really up, though?"

 _"Well, uhh, don't take this the wrong way, either, but I've been watching you. I know you have potential, and I think I have the perfect work opportunity for you. This, this is more than the dumb jobs than you've been doing. No, with this job, you...are about to enter the world of the Big Leagues."_

"The Big Leagues, what...what are you...?"

 _"Look, um, I can't talk about it right now. I own a garment factory in La Mesa, just across the Vespucci Boulevard bridge. Come meet me there, and I'll do my best to assuage your doubts. And whatever you do, make sure you're not followed."_

"Well, um...th-this all seems kinda-"

 _"Shady? Not at all. Sure I'm a creepy-sounding guy that you don't know at all, but I'm also exceedingly capable. Just come to the garment factory, and you'll see just how capable I am."_

"Yeah, you're still sounding pretty creepy," said Alexia, shaking her head.

 _"Ah, don't blame me. Any criminal wants to get things done, they've got to intimidate their inferiors. My method is just sounding like some creepy pervert, even though I'm...well, I'm uh...j-just, come over in a few minutes, and I'll explain. Goodbye."_

Before she could interrogate further, he hung up, producing a lonely toll from the other end.

She placed the phone down and looked down at her body, still clad in her sweat-soaked workout clothes. A great debate ensued in her head on whether or not she could go to meet this man that she knew so little about, yet had promised her good-paying work in their brief, awkward conversation.

Whether he was genuine or not was surely up for postulation, yet Alexia realized as she pondered that there was no way on Earth to know the sincerity of his words without actually going out and meeting him herself, despite the risks that such a covert meeting presented. And besides, the promise of higher-paying criminal work was too big to potentially give up by refusing to meet with him.

Taking a deep breath, she rose from her sitting position, then headed downstairs to shower and change into street clothes, a simple T-shirt and jeans plus her wooly black gloves that appeared so uncharacteristic for such a mild day.

Before heading out, she made sure to pocket her switchblade as well as her AP pistol, as the uncertainty surrounding the situation was much too high for her to go unarmed.

* * *

After making her way across the bridge that spanned over the L.S. River and some railroad tracks, Alexia parked her blood-red Oracle in a small lot in front of the derelict brick building she was to meet her contact in. The shadiness of his earlier conversation with her was only corroborated by the setting within which he wanted to meet her personally. The boarded-up windows and the dangerous neighborhood it was located in sent shivers down Alexia's spine. She felt for her pistol and knife one last time before stepping out of her car and making her way toward the dust-covered double doors that led into the garment factory.

Upon entering, Alexia was immediately greeted by the echoes of mariachi-style music, played over a crackling radio. She made her way cautiously up the steps of the abandoned-looking building, but as soon as she reached the top, she saw that the factory was very much operational: several Hispanic workers sat at tables, sewing together scarves, socks, and sweaters, among other things.

The workers only gave Alexia a passing glance before continuing on silently with their work. She gave a nervous smile and wave, which they did not acknowledge.

 _"Psst."_

She looked over to the office doors adjacent to the main work floor, to see a pale-white arm ushering her inside. Alexia gratefully followed the beckoning arm into the isolated office, shutting the door gently behind her.

"Ah, you're here," answered the nasally voice in person. "...You're sure you weren't followed?"

"I didn't...see anybody," she said timidly.

"Good. This is an important matter between you and I, so we don't want any untoward attention."

The man leaned on his cane as he spoke, grinning smugly as he looked over the girl he had called over.

"Well, it's uh, nice to meet you in person...You're a little shorter than I pictured you initially."

"Yeah, um, same with you."

"Well, part of that's just my chronic debilitating illness, forces me to use this," he said, poking the floor with his cane. "If it wasn't for that, I'd be, uh, standing quite a bit taller. Well, anyway..."

He cleared his throat, snorting some phlegm.

"I called you over here for reasons much more pertinent than comparisons of stature."

"Right. You had...work for me, you said?"

"That's right, and not just any work. No, the job I have in mind is a little bigger, both in scope and in pay. It's a heist, if you will."

"A heist?!"

"SHH!" he snapped. "A couple of my workers can comprehend English, so we don't want them overhearing our conversation."

"R-right, sorry..." said Alexia, looking down in embarrassment. "But...when you say heist, you're talking like...robbing a bank?"

"Precisely. A small franchise, for your first time, but it should net you quite a bit of money, Alexia. So you should-"

"Wait wait wait..."

Alexia took a step backwards. Her eyes widened in terror at the man she was facing.

"You..." she said quietly. "How do you know my name?"

The man grinned smugly.

"Well, why wouldn't I?...I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but you've been making quite a name for yourself, which is what prompted me to start watching you...And, uh, after doing a bit of research, I only became more invested. Your first and only arrest record was a juvenile offense, attempted murder with a pair of scissors. Creative yet brutal, I like that."

Alexia turned beet red; she knew she had been found out, yet she could do nothing to stop the flow of damning words from the man's putrid lips.

"And upon further investigation, I found a warrant out for your arrest in South Yankton, for armed robbery. I'm guessing that's what prompted you to create that fake ID and board a plane to Los Santos. Rental records from the Pillbox Hill luxury apartments list a new tenant as 'Alexia Natchez', matching the fake identity used on the flight. The lease was cosigned by a 'Rodney Natchez', a past alias for your uncle, the one and only Remus Knight."

Alexia started to tremble violently. A cold sweat permeated underneath her clothes, followed by concurrent shots of blood-curdling fear down her spine.

 _"...You..."_ she stuttered meekly. " _H...How do you know..."_

"I must say, though, for a girl with diagnosed with severe anxiety and Intermittent Explosive Disorder, you have been doing quite well. From what I've gathered from my various contacts, I would say you seem virtually the perfect young candidate for this job I have planned...The question is...Are you willing to take this exhilarating next step in your career? Right now, you have quite a bit of debt to pay off, but if you trust me and agree to this excursion...Then there will be much more money and opportunities down the road, my friend."

He waited for her response, yet Alexia had none. She stood there with her mouth agape, her eyes wide open in shock. Petrified by the complete divulging of her true identity by this man she didn't even know, seemed to turn her into an immovable pillar of salt on the spot where she stood.

Eventually, the shock overcame her, and she was forced to sit on a nearby sofa, cupping her face in her hands.

"...Okay, you're...you're good. I-I'll give you that."

He smiled, flattered that she thought so.

"Ah, don't worry," he said in a more relaxed tone. "I'm not one to go ratting to the cops, especially if it would be of greater financial benefit to keep you around."

He straightened himself on his cane, wincing as if his joints pained him greatly.

"Just kidding, I...probably wouldn't have ratted you out anyway. Because, as you can probably tell by our archaic surroundings, this factory is merely a front for my, uh...other form of income. The fact is, Alexia...I am an experienced criminal mastermind and computer genius. I used to do my business in the Midwest, just north of your home in South Yankton, but...circumstances warranted me moving to the West Coast. So, with that being said, I suppose it would be rude if I knew your name, but you didn't know mine...Lester Crest. But some of my, uh, female acquaintances, they call me Lesty."

She hesitated for a few moments before shaking his white, pudgy hand, slick with some form of grease.

"...Nice to meet you," she found herself saying.

Suddenly, the heard the door downstairs slamming shut, and another set of footsteps traversing the wooden staircase.

"...Who is-"

"Sounds like your partner-in-crime," said Lester, grinning at her.

Alexia stared, dumbstruck.

"Yes, I um...This is a two-person job, and I know that your usual partner Jessamine is incapacitated at the moment...She's, uh, quite the character isn't she? Former child actress turned member of the Black Skulls, currently in rehab under the name Reena Jacobs-"

"Okay, you are _seriously_ scaring me, dude."

The door opened, and Alexia's partner stepped into the office.

Alexia's eyes widened in fear. She shook her head, as if to confirm that this was indeed the person Lester had handpicked to accompany her on her very first heist mission.

Upon realizing that it was in fact reality, she groaned loudly, holding her head in her hands.

 _"You...you can't be serious..."_

"What?" said Lester, confused.

 _"Of all the low-life criminals in this city...why HER?!"_

For the first time since meeting her, Lester appeared genuinely puzzled by a facet of Alexia's life. He looked back and forth between the two girls, one sulking, the other standing quite confidently in the small office space.

A devilish grin spread across her tiny face, revealing the yellow braces on her teeth. She adjusted her blonde pigtails as she looked at Alexia, still bemoaning the fact that they were soon to be going on a job together.

"Wellll..." she said finally. "I honestly thought I'd never see you again... _goth girl_."


	20. The Fleeca Job: Scope-Out

Alexia looked blankly at Noël as the grade-school aged girl stood triumphantly, having remembered how she had beaten Alexia in a street race and left her humiliated and with bleeding, lacerated hands.

Alexia's eyes narrowed in anger, as did Noël's. Enough hostility remained between the two former rivals that the room was thrust into an uncomfortable state, one which irked Lester to speak up.

"You two...know each other?"

"Gah, barely," Alexia sighed. "We were in a street race together one time."

"In which I beat your ass," chimed Noël.

"Uh, excuse me?" Alexia retorted sharply, rising from her seat. "You hardly even won. I was almost the one who beat _your_ ass, twerp!"

"Well, you probably _would've_ beaten me, if you'd gotten rid of that greasy-ass emo haircut sooner."

Alexia put a hand self-consciously on top of her head, feeling of her newly short and neat black hair.

Noël stared curiously at Alexia, who stood a good 12 inches taller than her.

"Hmm...You know, I really don't get you, goth girl. I don't get you at all."

"What?" hissed Alexia.

"Your sense of what is good and what is bad fashion is just...completely off. I dunno why you thought that was a good idea."

"And just what is wrong with my hairstyle?"

"I can't quite describe it, it's..." said Noël, laughing. "I...Why did you decide going from 'weird emo girl' to 'early-menopausal lesbian' was an appropriate transition? It-it's just, I find it strange."

Alexia scowled fiercely as Noël continued to laugh mockingly.

"...Well, at least I don't look like the kid from the Coppertone ads."

"Hah! I don't even know what that is!"

"Doesn't surprise me," grumbled Alexia.

"Face it, goth girl: You and your outdated references are trash...I'm surprised Lester even called you over for this job."

"Well, I would rather swallow molten tungsten than go on a job with you!"

"I would rather deliberately wreck a brand-new T20 than do a job with you!"

"I would rather you both be QUIET!" Lester interjected angrily. "This is beyond childish and unbelievably stupid!"

The two girls glared at each other, now that their talking privileges had been revoked.

Lester sighed heavily, shaking his head.

"Look, I had no idea that you two were acquainted and possessed such...burning animosities."

"Then why _did_ you put us together?" asked Alexia, still glaring at Noël.

"Because judging from your profiles, Noël has extensive knowledge of cars, and Alexia, you have proficient skill with guns, both of which you'll need for this job I have planned, if you don't kill each other first that is."

 _"No promises,"_ they both proclaimed at the exact same time.

Normally, uttering a sentence or phrase simultaneously would be cause for an awkward smile or laugh from most people, but not for these two former competitors. The glares that they gave each other signaled an everlasting simmering underneath each girl's skin, arising whenever they thought or saw one another. Judging from this, there was no way that they could ever be friends.

"In fact, Lester," proclaimed Noël. "I'm not sure if I'm as enthusiastic about doing this job now."

"Yeah, same here," added Alexia. "You have no idea what she's like, Lester. She's...I-I couldn't ever trust this brat with my life."

"On the contrary, I do know what Noël is like. Because I've been watching her just as intensely as I've been watching you."

"Yet us competing in a race together and becoming less-than-friendly managed to fall under your radar?" asked Alexia skeptically.

Lester looked up towards the ceiling.

"Some things do, I suppose. Things that aren't documented and put onto a harddrive for me to hack into. But, that doesn't matter...because it seems to me that both of _you_ are the ones that are greatly missing the point here."

Lester glowered angrily at the two girls, temporarily quieting their potent eyes.

"I expected more from both of you. Letting something silly like hurt feelings over a street race distract you from a money-making opportunity! The way I see it, two petty criminals shouldn't be so quick to give up a job, especially one that promises at LEAST a 6-figure paycheck!"

Both girls' eyes widened, which Lester had expected.

"Yes, the, uh...bank franchise we're hitting might be small, but the safety deposit box that I've targeted contains funds that have been hidden from the scrutiny of tax collectors by a rather shady business collective. So, to put it simply...There's going to be a LOT of money to be shared between the both of you. But the only way you'll get it done is if you set aside these imbecilic differences of yours. You don't have to like each other by any means...But in the criminal world, you often have to make compromises to get what it is you truly want."

Slowly, Alexia's eyes raised up to Noël's, which had seemed to lose their usual tint of superiority and mocking that they usually had. Instead, she could tell that she had acknowledged Lester's advice and had even become ashamed by her insolence. The sly smile was gone, replaced by a begrudging frown across her tiny face.

Suddenly, Alexia extended a hand. Noël acknowledged its presence with her eyes.

"...I...suppose we have a truce, then?" said Alexia.

Noël hesitated for a moment, squinting her eyes shut, before her small hand took Alexia's and shook it firmly.

"Yes, uh...a temporary truce," she affirmed, lisping heavily through her braces.

"Fine by me."

"But we are NOT friends."

"Not by a longshot."

"Well I'm glad you two at least get each other," said Lester, pushing himself off of his cane and laying it down beside a table. "That's an important aspect for two people on a job together...Now, c'mon, let's go scope this place out."

Without the assistance of his wooden support, Lester walked, hunchbacked, out of the office and down the stairs.

The two girls looked at each other and shrugged, knowing that the stakes were too high for them to refuse to be partners. Alexia held the door open for Noël, and they both left the derelict garment factory.

Lester hobbled over to his car, a blue Declasse Asea sedan, a trusty but overall-unimpressive vehicle, suggesting that he wished to take his car for this excursion.

The crippled man reached for the back passenger door, giving Noël permission to bounce over to the driver's seat, where she enthusiastically took the steering wheel.

Alexia opened the driver's side door, looking curiously down at the little girl.

"...What do you think you're doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm driving."

"Uh, no you're not. This is a covert operation, we can't be raising any suspicions."

"Well excuuuuse me, goth girl," retorted a squinting Noël. "The only trouble we'll get in is if a horny lesbian cop pulls us over and takes you into 'special custody', as they call it."

"You're not driving!"

"Actually, Noël..." Lester interjected. "Alexia's right. You can't be driving us. If a cop sees a girl of your age driving a car, then they'll certainly think..."

At this point, Lester had to stop so he could briefly chuckle.

"...Well, I don't know what they'll think, but we'll definitely get pulled over and ID'd, effectively blowing the whole score."

Noël, eyes full of fire, unbuckled her seatbelt angrily. She stepped out of the car and brushed roughly against Alexia.

"Mannn...This is bullshit!" she protested.

"Well, actually, now that I think about it, you are pretty small," he pondered. "I wonder if we should maybe get a booster seat for her or something, let her sit in the back."

"Okay, there is no way in HELL that I'm gonna-!"

"Actually, I think it'll be fine, Lester," opined Alexia. "In fact, she could probably sit up front if she likes. They usually don't check that kind of stuff unless she was a toddler or infant. It should be okay."

Lester thought about it for a moment then, to Noël's amazement, consented to Alexia's proposition.

"Very well...But the pressure's on you too, Alexia. Drive carefully."

"No problem."

Noël looked up at Alexia, who despite her frequent insults and barrages towards her had just saved the professional street racer the humiliation of having to sit in a booster seat in the back of a car.

Their eyes briefly met, but Noël looked quickly away, heading over towards the passenger seat. Alexia climbed inside and cranked the engine once everyone had clicked their seatbelts. For this mission, the stakes were too high to be pulled over for a minor infraction such as an unclicked seatbelt.

"Okay, Alexia," said Lester while his eyes were on his smartphone. "Drive us to the Fleeca Bank franchise on the Great Ocean Highway, so we can get a good feel for the place."

"Will do."

Performing a three-point turn in the parking lot, Alexia entered the main road, crossing back over the bridge the way she had come and heading west.

The air in the car was deathly silent. The two girls stared uncomfortably ahead at the road and the dense midday traffic spread out before them.

"...So, um...What have you been up to, Noël? I haven't seen you around the compound or anything."

"Yeah...I'm kinda more loosely-associated with the Skulls now. I joined a professional street-racing club. High stakes, fast cars, tire smoke, it's just like you'd see in the movies really. We hold meets about every night, and I usually win too."

"Well, you've...kinda been missing a lot," said Alexia with an edge to her voice. "The Skulls have gotten entrenched in a war. We think we're being betrayed somehow, that there might be a mole in the crew, working for the FIB or the Roses or...both, even. It's been fucking nuts...I've been helping wherever I could. The last raid we pulled, I was assigned as a sniper. But it was a bust, they were waiting for us. My partner died on the hillside, and I...I barely even got out alive..."

"Damn..."

"Yeah. Shit's been rough...But I'm glad you've been well, in your little street-racing club."

"Hey, what the hell? I try to be decent to you, and you insult me? Tsk, tsk, tsk. I guess I really can't win with you, goth girl."

Alexia sighed heavily.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I...That was uncalled for, I guess."

Noël squinted at Alexia.

"...You might have different hair now, but you know what, you're still that same sulky emo kid I saw the night of the race."

"And you're still that...!"

Alexia struggled to contain her anger, her hands trembling on the steering wheel. No matter how much this girl repeatedly stepped on her nerves, she could not let the full extent of her anger show and blow their shaky partnership out of the water.

"...I'm still that what?" asked Noël, eyes narrowed.

In response, Alexia simply took a deep breath, directing her main focus back toward the road.

Noël scoffed, turning her gaze back to the front. Lester was strangely absent throughout the exchange, as he was much too focused on his glowing phone screen.

"...I guess I can get pretty emotional at times."

Noël glanced back at Alexia as she said this, then turned back once again.

"...I'm...sorry if that part of me offends you, I do my best to control it. So if you are trying to restrain certain...tendencies of yours, then it's only fair that I try and restrain mine."

"Gah," Noël sighed. "Okay, okay i-it's fine. Let's just...put all this shit behind us, I'm fucking tired of talking about it."

"Yeah, same here."

There was a long pause, during which the two partners fished desperately for something to say that wouldn't set the other off.

"...There is one thing, though, that I've been...thinking about, in my time as a street racer."

Since the car was stopped at a red light, Alexia turned to look at the young girl beside her, who looked as if she was pondering something heavy.

"I told you that I usually win all the meets I go to. I usually win them easily, too...But, so far...You are the only competitor of mine that's even come close to beating me. Which...just doesn't make any sense because you're...well, you're..."

Noël managed to stop herself from saying something mocking and hurtful. The little girl seemed to physically swallow her words before she continued.

"...Well, whatever," she said curtly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I-I must've just been off my game that night. I'd just broken out of the mental asylum, I-I was just rusty. That was all it was."

"You say that like it's been...bothering you, though."

Noël's face contorted, like she was trying desperately to hold something in. Perhaps, it was what she truly felt about almost losing a race to somewhat she had deemed 'sulky' and 'emo'.

"...Maybe I was a little...perturbed by it. But that's good because it forced me to work harder. Now, no one even comes close to beating me. So, I think I should thank you, uh...wh...I-I'm sorry, what's your name again?"

"Alexia."

"Alexia, huh?...I hope you don't mind, but I'm gonna stick to 'goth girl' for now. It's just what I know you in my head as."

"Fine by me," said Alexia with a light laugh. "I think we're supposed to use codenames on these missions anyway, to keep from revealing our identities."

"That is correct," affirmed Lester as he focused on his screen. "You'll both be wearing masks when you take the score, but nicknames are gonna keep any witnesses from giving names to the cops."

"Right...So, Noël, I think I'm gonna call you 'twerp' on this mission."

"...You fucking kidding me, gothy?"

"Oh sorry, would you prefer 'pipsqueak'?"

Noël glared daggers at the woman beside her. Alexia, meanwhile, enjoyed a good bit of laughter from her reaction.

The little girl huffed, looking away from her.

"...Twerp is fine," she mumbled.

"Ok, that should do it," proclaimed Lester as he put away his device. "Well, seeing as we're all warm and fuzzy now, allow me to explain some particulars on the score you're going to take."

"Oh that's nice," said Alexia. "For a second there I thought you were just playing DigiFarm on that thing."

Lester grimaced as Noël and Alexia shared in a laugh.

"...On the contrary, I've been updating some hacking software for you. The bank's systems are relatively easy to break, but I had to make sure they were up to date. One of you will be in charge of initiating the hack to open the bank vault. I've taken the liberty of making the interface as user-friendly as possible."

By this point, Alexia had taken an entrance ramp and had merged onto the Great Ocean Highway, a scenic road that hugged the western coast of San Andreas, showcasing the vibrant waters of the Pacific and beautiful beaches neighbored by luxury condos and hotels. A small enclave of Los Santos, called Chumash, sat about a minute or two down the highway. Its residents were mostly rich businessmen who owned winter homes on the beach, and some even happened to do their business in the bank that Alexia and her ill-tempered partner were targeting.

"There, that's the place up there," Lester said, pointing fervently. "Pull up, Alexia, let's have a look."

She did so, pulling off the road and into a bicycle lane and parking the car directly in front of the bank doors.

The bank's square footage was incredibly small, with virtually no external security features to keep them out. Through the transparent double doors, Alexia could see the glass-plated bank counters up front, and the lone teller dealing with a customer inside.

Lester smiled as he observed the girls' expressions, taking in the layout of the place that they were soon to rob.

"...Here, this will probably give you a better picture."

He held out his phone, presenting to them a black-and-white screen, marked by a security tag in the corner. Obviously, he had hacked into the bank's camera network, which gave the two criminals a clear picture of what the interior layout of the bank would be like.

Judging from the hacked camera network, it was not much: a tiny main room, conservatively-furnished and completely lacking in security. They were obviously not prepared for the robbery that they were about to commit, which suited them.

With a touch of the screen, Lester presented a different picture: this time that of a white steel-walled room with a table in the center, and what appeared to be lockers on all four walls and a heavy metal door on the opposite side.

"This here is the vault, where the deposit boxes are. We're after box 167. That's the one I know to have indiscriminate funds hidden inside."

After the girls had observed silently for a few moments, he withdrew his phone and began to speak, now that he had their full attention.

"Now, as you can see, this bank is located right on the highway. That's good, you can get in and out quick. But, it will also exponentially speed up the police response time, so once the alarm goes off, you need to get the hell out of there. However, I believe I can disable the security system long enough to give you a decent window to get the box, and get out. To pry the box out of the wall you'll need an industrial power drill, but I've got one of those you can use...In fact, I've provided just about everything you'll need for this job except...well, w-we'll talk about that later, we don't want to be hanging around here for too long. Alexia, drive us back to the garment factory."

"Like I've got nothing better to do than to be you guys' chauffeur."

Nonetheless, as soon as there was a break in traffic, Alexia turned around and headed south on the freeway, back towards the city.

"Augh," sighed Noël. "There you go again with the whining, gothy. You honestly think you have it bad on this scope-out?"

"No, do you?" Alexia retorted. "If I recall correctly, all you've done is sit in the passenger seat and try not to be a complete ass this whole time."

"Yeah, exactly! I'm bored outta my MIND, I'm doing literally nothing! I thought maybe I'd be in charge of, like, hacking into the network or preferably driving, but noooo. Instead, I've gotta sit here next to a-"

Before the tension between them could escalate further, Noël suddenly checked her phone, which she had felt buzz in her pocket.

"...Okay, why'd you send me an app?" she asked the balding man in the backseat.

"Because that's the app you'll be using to open the vault. Go ahead and take it for a practice run while it's not active, get a feel for it. Like I said, I've tried to make it as user-friendly as possible."

"Okay, well we'll see what this shitty-looking thing is actually-OOH, puzzle game!"

Noël's face suddenly became glued to the screen, her eyes wide and focused on the glowing line that shewas to guide across a virtual maze to reach a goal on the other side.

The enthusiasm with which she handled this task, and the smile she gave as she completed the first level, was significant as the first time she had seen the little girl act like an actual child.

She, however, was satisfied that the bothersome girl was finally quiet. Lester appeared equally relieved as he focused back on his own phone, dialing a number onto the screen.

"Paige," he addressed cheerily. "You got the van?...Alright, well I'm heading back to the garment factory with the two recruits...Ah, I believe you'll get on well. They're very, um..."

He gave one last look at his two apprentices, one a scrawny, socially anxious black-haired woman, the other a prepubescent girl enthralled by a simple smartphone game.

"...They're, uh, unorthodox to say the least...Okay, I'll see you there. Hopefully with an improved attitude from last time."

He hung up, placing his phone in his pocket.

"That was my assistant, Paige," he informed the two aspiring bank robbers. "Probably the only person I've met who possesses as much knowledge about hacking systems as I do. Plus, she's a girl so...she's got that going for her."

Noël suddenly raised her head from her phone screen, indicating that she had finished.

"You get through it alright, Noël?"

"Yeah, it was easy as fuck. Are you sure that's gonna be enough to open the bank vault?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Trust me, I wouldn't have put my handsome face on the app's homescreen if I wasn't confident in its ability to get the job done. And, of course, in your ability to delete it completely from your phone after the job's been pulled...Most of the dirty work I've taken care of for you, both in the cyber as well as the physical aspects of this job. Once we get to Paige, we'll head to your apartment, Alexia. Should be a nice, spacious place to plan everything out."

Lester leaned back in the passenger seat, smiling smugly.

"Ah, I just love it when a score comes together...I realize that you're both new to this, but just trust me and stick to the plan, and I promise you will not be disappointed with the reward."

"Augh!" groaned Noël. "Meaning I've gotta do a 50/50 split with gothy over here?"

"That would be most fair I suppose...But, since we're planning the heist in Alexia's apartment, that makes her in charge of the detail work and execution of setups as well as the actual job. So in the end, she will be the one to decide how the money is split amongst you."

"What the fuck!" protested Noël. "No fair! How come we can't plan the heist at MY place?!"

"Because, at the moment you're living with someone else, using their spare room. We want as few people as possible to know about this plan of ours."

Noël paused, stunned and a little scared that Lester knew this about her.

"Hey, I-I'm looking for a place right now alright?...Lamar's a shit-talker, I can't be living with him for-"

"Wait wait wait!"

Alexia looked over, stunned by Noël's revelation.

"You're...living with Lamar?!"

"Only temporarily. The Skulls kicked me out of the compound for using all the hot water, and he was there to take me in. Only happened a couple days after the street race, actually."

"...Well, what surprises me is how he was so easy to let you live with him, after you rammed his car into a fucking convenience store."

"Hey, he harbored no hard feelings. Because unlike you, he has the ability to actually let things go! He might be a complete loudmouthed idiot, but at least he's-!"

"An idiot, yes...But that still doesn't make it okay to ram people like that in races."

"There's not even any rules against it!"

"But it's cheap! It's such a fucking petty move!"

"Since when did you become such a fucking moral compass, emo bitch?"

"This isn't about morals. I'm a dirty low-life criminal just like everyone else in this town, but I can clearly see ramming peoples' cars into brick walls as kind of a dick move."

"Ohh, so now you're a seasoned expert on street racing. Hah!"

Noël clapped mockingly for her, yet retained her stone-cold glare.

"Enlightening, but no one asked for your opinion, so please go and eat a fat di-"

"ENOUGH!" screamed Lester, loudly enough so that the argument momentarily ceased. "It seems you two have forgotten that little truce of yours already! It's like even mentioning that street race sets off an altercation immediately, so from now on just DON'T MENTION IT! Don't talk about it, don't even think about it, or I'll find two more who can get along MUCH better!"

Lester's threat and loud snarling voice that had caused his face to turn red with anger was enough to quiet the two bickering girls. They sat, facing forward in their seats with furrowed brows as Lester took a few gulps of his inhaler to refill his lungs with oxygen.

The rest of the ride was spent in this uncomfortable silence, each girl directing their angry glares toward the road instead of at each other. Their feelings of resentment, however, continued to rankle toxically in the claustrophobic atmosphere inside the sedan.

Alexia had thought just for a moment that she might actually be able to get along with Noël. What little humanity she had seen of her, however, was overcome by another entity it seemed, of a foul-mouthed demon of a girl who did not seem to give the slightest care to the implications of her words. She knew all too well that she was hurting Alexia and others, yet persisted in deriding and insulting them in the hopes of inflicting emotional harm.

It made Alexia angry beyond comprehension, seeing a girl who so callously regarded everyone but herself as inferior. In her mind, she considered this a trait that marked Noël as a truly evil person. Even her uncle, whom many people regarded as a modern-day boogeyman, at least acknowledged the importance of others. Noël, it seemed, was so completely self-absorbed that other people were but a nuisance to her, an obstacle that she wanted out of the way.

Performing such a high-stakes, high-risk job with someone so selfishly inclined immediately registered as dangerous to Alexia: there was certainly nothing stopping the girl from shooting her in the back and making off with the heist money herself. Knowing her, this scenario was most likely her favored approach to the job, since she had bemoaned so loudly the fact that she had to split the earnings with her.

She glanced briefly at the girl, who she was sure by now was aiming to kill her, before looking quickly away.

The little girl that she knew very little about seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts that she could not voice in the uncomfortable stillness. Her face, however, did not possess the rigid anger and contempt that it once held. Instead, she stared silently out the window, her long blonde pigtails swaying in the indoor breeze of the car's A/C. Her small, beady eyes had lost the agitated fire within them, and had since become softer as they looked at the traffic passing them by. She looked almost human, in sharp contrast to the demonic entity that had manifested before.

Alexia found herself wondering what she had to be thinking about at the moment. Her gaze suggested that she was perhaps reflecting on something that had been lost on her in her heated, angry words. Maybe there actually was something that was stopping her from betraying Alexia and taking all the money, but she could not guess at what it was that produced such a rare hint of morality from a girl so devoid of decency or restraint.

The garment factory was soon in sight: Alexia crossed the bridge once again and turned into the lot, where a black SUV was waiting dutifully in front of the overpass. Next to it stood a lean, black-haired girl with thick black lipstick and eyeliner to match. These features, coupled with her Metallica T-shirt and ripped jeans, made her stand out as a devotee of alternative trends.

Noël stuck out her tongue in disgust.

"Okay, I take it back, goth girl...Maybe you're not the most emo-looking chick I've ever seen. SHE takes the cake there."

"That would be Paige, my loyal assistant," denoted an annoyed Lester. "And you really don't want to get off on the wrong foot with her, so I would suggest you keep it to yourself, Noël."

"Fine," she huffed, crossing her arms. "I guess the overwhelming majority of criminal women are just gonna be these freaking emo chicks."

"Hey, I'm about as emo as you, twerp," growled Alexia. "It's not my fault my hair is naturally black."

"Well it's not just that, though, it's your clothes also."

Noël pointed to Alexia's outfit, which consisted of dark acid-washed jeans and a heavy metal T-shirt, along with ratty converse shoes.

"I...hardly think my outfit constitutes the 'emo' look. And even if it did, honestly who gives a crap besides you?"

"She's got a point," Lester corroborated, smiling slyly.

"Agh, would you stop siding with her!" she shouted at him. "Honestly, it's like you two are constantly ganging up on me!"

"Noël, that's not even-"

"Ahp-ahp!" she interrupted Alexia. "You think just cuz I'm small and I'm still a kid that you can take advantage of me, make me your bitch! Well, I've got news for both of you a-holes, I'm not gonna take-"

A knock on the drivers' side window put an end to Noël's manic tirade. Alexia turned to look at Paige, who graciously opened the door for her.

"You guys were sitting there for a while, everything cool?"

"Y-yeah, thank you," Alexia mumbled shyly as she stepped out of the sedan.

"Speak up, gothy, she can barely hear you," Noël chastised her as she opened her own car door.

Alexia sighed before turning back to Paige.

"We're, uh, still getting used to each other's company."

"Well, you gotta make do with each other I guess, until the job is pulled."

"Yeah...I like your shirt."

"Thanks. You listen to Metallica?"

"Hell yeah."

"Nice. Favorite album?"

"Well, Ride the Lightning is definitely one of their best, but my favorite would have to be Master of Puppets. It's just got that refined-yet-brutal sound that makes them-"

Another knock on the window, this time from inside the car.

"Hello! A little help for the crippled man in the back please."

Paige stepped up and opened the door for Lester, grabbing his hand to assist him in standing.

"Okay, you really could have done that yourself."

"Why bother when I have such a lovely assistant to help me?"

Lester's smug grin was met with a sharp glare from Paige.

"If you think I'm here just to be your female bodyslave, then you're sorely mistaken."

"Relax, relax, I was joking," he said with a laugh. "You know I respect you as an individual, Paige, your hacking abilities are brilliant. Of course you'll be getting a cut of the spoils also."

"That's more like it. Now, go and sit in the back. You'll find a booster seat back there just for you."

Lester laughed again, but this time looked slightly more nervous. He nonetheless shuffled over to the black SUV, obviously struggling without the use of his cane.

"Err, sorry about that, me and him have a very...love-hate relationship. Mostly hate on my side."

"Oh that's fine. After today, I feel like I'm gonna be able to understand that completely."

"Thanks...I'm Paige, by the way."

"Alexia."

"AAAAAAH, GET THE FUCK AWAY!"

Noël suddenly came running up to the two women, hiding behind Alexia's legs. The little girl was wide-eyed and shaking heavily, as if she had just witnessed some horrific monster.

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME, I SAID FUCK OFF CUNT!"

"Noël, what is it?"

Alexia soon had her answer, however, when a ball of matted gray fur came struttinf out from under the overpass. The cat stopped a short distance from Lester's sedan, then sat down and began to lick its crotch vigorously.

Paige couldn't help but to start snickering, and Alexia soon did the same.

"It's just a stray alley cat."

"JUST A-?! Those fuckers would eat you alive if they had the chance! I know that from how many times I've been scratched by them!"

"You're being a bit ridiculous, Noël."

"You're calling me ridiculous, lesbo haircut?"

The cat suddenly perked up. Then, noticing the three humans within its territory, it scurried back off into the shadows from whence it came from. This caused Noël great joy, as this image connotated to her that of a beast being vanquished back to its lair.

"Y-yeah, you better run! Fucking pussy!...No pun intended."

Paige covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, and Noël could hear her snickering.

"And, um...this is Noël," said Alexia.

Noël scowled at her partner.

"Now, why did you have to go and do that for?"

"What? What'd I do this time?"

"You just casually introduced me right after I do something ridiculous, make me out to look like some comic fool. Some kinda idiot kid."

"Noël, I'm not trying to do that. But I obviously can't control if you act ridiculous sometimes. We all do from time to time, so just chill out, girl."

"Hmmph," she grunted, her shoulders slumping yet retaining her potent eyes. "Just let me introduce myself, okay goth girl?"

She cleared her throat, then extended her tiny, stubby hand in front of Paige.

"...Yes, I'm Noël. And, uh, that does include two little dots over the E."

"Heh, alright," said Paige, shaking her hand delicately and smiling. "Well, it's nice to meet you too, Noël."

They released hands, after which Noël stuck her tongue out at Alexia.

"Well, we'd best get going to the apartment," she said with a more businesslike air, leading the way to the SUV. "We need to get this heist equipment off the streets as soon as possible...You'd better drive."

She tossed Alexia the keys, which she fumbled around before catching them in her palm.

Paige flashed a meager smile before stepping into the backseat. Alexia and her grade-school aged partner took their positions in the front.

"So, is that everything back there?" inquired Lester.

"Yeah, should be everything: masks, outfits, the drill and the bag to carry it in, weapons and ammo, files of incriminating surveillance work on the bank. So any friendly policeman we meet on the way will be more than happy to arrest us for conspiracy to commit robbery, not that you thought of that."

"Relax, we're not getting caught. These two might be new to this whole thing, but I trust in their ability to not attract police attention. Right, you two?"

"Right," affirmed Alexia as she drove.

"No matter how tempting, I will try not to stick out any middle fingers at cop cars," Noël corroborated.

"...How encouraging," grumbled Paige.

"Ahem."

Lester glared daggers at her, indicating that he was not at all pleased by her attitude.

Paige sighed, letting her shoulders droop.

"Just...Please don't do anything stupid, alright you guys?"

"Stupid is as stupid does, y'know," remarked Noël.

"Well, in this case stupidity means lifelong incarceration...Lester told ne about both of your backgrounds, so you two especially should want to avoid being caught."

Surprisingly, this managed to shut Noël up; she faced forward in her seat, folding her hands over her lap like the good girl that she most certainly wasn't.

Alexia found herself greatly surprised. She wondered what it was about her past that caused her so much anxiety upon it even being hinted at by Paige. Perhaps it was something shameful, like her brutal, bloody maiming of a girl with scissors. Or, perhaps the selfish girl was only concerned about being caught and sent back to whatever institution she had escaped from.

The girl twiddled her thumbs nervously as she sat in the passenger seat, while Alexia maneuvered the SUV into her apartment's underground garage.


	21. The Fleeca Job: Kuruma

**Hello, all. Long time no see, is it not? Well, as usual, I have prepared for you guys yet another chapter in this series of farcical misadventures, sprinkled with awkward attempts at situational humor as well as a healthy dose of deus ex machina...Oh, who am I kidding, I do enjoy writing this story. And as long as it keeps you guys entertained and/or I don't die in a freak marching accident, I will continue to update with more chapters, I swear to God and Black Jesus.**

 **But, on some real shit, my niggas, I do have to ask what you all think of the new direction this story has taken. I am planning for Alexia to undertake all five of the online heists with her own group of career criminals that she will be tasked with leading. Of course, I will be sure to continue the basic action/humor formula of the story throughout this new subplot, and the gang war will most likely have an effect on the execution of heists so that they're not copied from the game verbatim. So, if you have a strong opinion on the matter or just want to tell me how much I suck for doing this, please let me know in the comments.**

 **But anyway, I suppose that's enough chit-chat for now. So please just make yourself comfortable, reader, nestle your children to your bosoms, and feel to eat some popcorn as you read. But while you're at it, please cover your childrens' eyes, as they definitely should not be reading this. Just so you know. _**

* * *

Once inside the apartment with a cumbersome box full of incriminating heist equipment, Paige and Alexia carried the suppllies in tandem over to an unused spare room in Alexia's luxury suite.

"You doing okay over there?"

 _"Yeah, it's just...really heavy..."_ strained Alexia, who was obviously struggling with the heavy load. Seeing this, Paige hastily directed her over to a table where they set the box down.

Alexia sighed heavily, shaking her burning, sore arms.

"Okay, we all good?" asked Lester as he entered, surveying the upscale surroundings.

"Yes, oh wise master," answered Paige with noticeable contempt. "We miraculously managed to cart all this up here without being arrested."

"See? I told you, these two know what they're doing. Or at least, they appear to be."

Paige didn't answer. Instead, she proceeded to a far wall of the apartment with a black marker, a few surveillance photos, and dozens upon dozens of thumbtacks.

"Okay, I gotta ask you, goth girl," said Noël skeptically as she entered. "If you're just a rookie in the Skulls, then how did you get a nice place like this? Luxury apartments like this must take years to save up for, and you did it in just a few weeks?"

"It's, uh, kind of a long story...Perhaps I'll tell you later, Noël."

"Yes, that's right," Lester interrupted. "You two will have plenty of time for familiarizing later, but for right now, we've got something else to focus on. A score to take. Now, Paige here is setting up a board for you. This will serve as a kind of visual aid to you, to help you plan exactly how you're gonna do this."

"Yeah, that's great, but you're...kind of writing it on my wall."

Paige briefly looked down from her work and down at the marker she had been using.

"Don't worry, it's dry-erase. We don't want to leave any evidence that this was ever planned in here."

"That's right," corroborated Lester with a smile. "It's the reason we can't keep files pertaining to this scheme on a computer. Aside from my brilliant hacking software, technology must be kept to a minimum in setting this up...So please you two, no hashtags or selfies on social media showing you at the bank."

Lester laughed at his own joke, yet no one else in the room laughed with him.

His laughter died down awkwardly, and he turned back to Paige.

"You almost done over there, Paige?"

"Almost...Y'know, I'd let you do it if I had some chairs for you to stand on."

Lester laughed again, just as awkwardly.

"Mmm, we uh...we like to poke fun, but we respect each other...For you see, it's not about the liking each other that counts, you two. It's all about respect. As long as you respect your partner, they will respect you back, right Paige?"

"Respect isn't the word I'd use. It's more like 'loathing the sight and especially the smell of you'."

 _"I'm starting to like her,"_ whispered Noël to Alexia.

"Yes, well, uh anyway," he started, clearing his throat. "As I've said before, the majority of the prep work has been taken care of for you. My loyal assistant has provided you with about everything you'll need for when you walk into the bank. However, something we could not procure for you is the getaway vehicle, that's something you'll have to get before you can start this heist...Now, Noël."

He turned to the girl, smiling slyly.

"Could you tell us all that you know about the, uh...armored Karin Kuruma?"

"You mean that veritable iron shell on wheels, with bulletproof windows, protection against collisions and amazing traction and understeer?"

Lester nodded slowly.

"...Are you sure we're gonna need such a powerful car for just a small bank job?"

"Yes," he declared, moving over to the board. "Once you exit the bank, the cops are going to be all over, setting up roadblocks and whatnot. The Kuruma's protection against collisions and bullets will ensure that you get to the escape point in one piece. More on that later. Now!"

He stuck his hand out dramatically and pointed to the board, now filled with pictures and descriptions of the heist and its related setups. Lester took a minute to chuckle to himself before straightening back up.

"...Okay, now buying a Kuruma off the market and leaving a paper trail, that's much too risky. Instead, you're gonna be stealing one from another heist crew. A group of professional Korean crooks are holed up in a parking garage in Little Seoul, planning to ship the car back to East Asia. You just have to get to them before that happens, initiate an assault, and then steal the car from them...Just be warned, though, these are a group of hardened, experienced criminals you'll be dealing with. They're not gonna let their priceless heist car go without a good fight."

"Wow, bank robbers robbing bank robbers?" remarked Noël. "That's quite a paradox."

"All part of a day's work...It's a brutal world out there."

He stared dramatically at the two girls, as if trying to make some kind of point. Then, he snapped out of it, focusing back on the task at hand.

"...Sorry, where were we? O-oh yes, the job...Once you have the car, drive it over to the bank, along with guns, masks, and all the guts you can muster. Upon entering the bank, one of you controls the crowd, takes out the cameras. The other takes the drill and goes over to the vault, which should be OPENED by the hack you initiated on the way. Use the drill to undo the locks and take the box directly out of the wall. Once you're done, the alarm will go off immediately, so you get the hell out of there. Once you're back in the car, just keep heading north on the Great Ocean Highway. One of my other contacts will be waiting for you up by Fort Zancudo. He's a professional, so no doubt he will have a plan to help you escape the heat."

Even Paige seemed to nod in agreement, indicating that she knew this particular friend of Lester's.

Lester looked proudly over the two women, who were staring in awe at the complex heist board that Paige had just finished assembling.

"Again, I-I realize this is your first time, you two. So, whatever happens, just know that I have faith in the both of you. I chose you and not other criminals for a reason. I see great potential in you to become a pair of truly great bank robbers, just like certain acquaintances of mine that I used to work with in the Midwest. You don't know them, of course, but...you two nonetheless sort of remind me of them. These guys were just a couple of young, dumb crooks with vastly different personalities, yet with only one goal in mind...the swindling of money from right under the noses of these bureaucratic fuckers! Hahaaa!"

"There he goes again with the stories..." groaned Paige.

"What, I'm not allowed to reminisce?! In the throes of middle-age?!"

"Because of you, growing old is probably my greatest fear at the moment."

"Well, it's going to happen, Paige. Even your gothic feminine good looks won't last for long, no matter how much black you apply to your face."

Paige's eyes narrowed, and she clenched her fists in anger. Her eyes were like proton beams burning through the soul of the man who had insulted her.

"...Sorry, too far?" said Lester as he noticed her wrath.

"Uhh, hello? Can we please get back to the topic?"

Everyone in the room began to look at Alexia, who had yet to make herself known much through her natural quietness. Now, however, she was standing in the middle of the room, staring curiously at the grown man and woman bickering instead of focusing on heist work.

"So, just to clarify...once we steal this Kuruma from this gang, then all the prep work is done, right?...There's nothing else we need to do?"

"R-right. So I would suggest waiting until dark to move on the car, then wait till morning to move on the bank."

"But what about afterwards, as we're escaping down the highway? You said your contact was a professional, but that doesn't really explain how they're gonna miraculously get the heat off our backs."

"Trust me, I'd rather you be pleasantly surprised by Eddie's level of professionalism. He's a pretty amazing guy, Paige will tell you that."

"Saved me more times than I can even count," Paige reminisced, smiling under downcast eyes.

Lester smiled also, as if suddenly hit with a wave of nostalgia from past heist jobs.

"I assure you, you're both in good hands. With me, Paige, and Eddie the Pro behind you, in theory...nothing can go wrong. Just remember that whenever things seem improbable or even impossible...remember that your Uncle Lester and Auntie Paige are always gonna be behind you."

"Yeahh, don't...touch me."

Lester drew back his hand, which he had put affectionately around Paige's waist. Emasculated by the rejection, he turned away with somber eyes.

"But yeah, we will be behind you," Paige continued. "...But _NOT_ if you end up getting caught. In that case, you're on your own. We do not know each other, nor have we ever made contact even once. And there will not be a sliver of evidence to suggest otherwise, even if you do decide to implicate us. So in short, just save your collective breaths and keep your mouths shut."

"Wow," remarked Lester with a snort. "You're mighty quick to threaten them."

"I'm not threatening, just simply explaining the facts. No reason all of us have to go down."

"Well, I can't say that she's wrong, you two. But it's okay because everything's gonna go just fine. You're gonna rob these money-laundering assholes, and walk away clean. Simple. Right, Paige?"

"...I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't believe you two are gonna get caught. I was just briefing you on me and Lester's contingency plan should something go wrong. Nothing personal...You guys are cool, right?"

"Yeah, of course," affirmed Alexia. "We know enough not to snitch on associates."

"Besides, if we do get sent to prison, the Skulls could always break us out," Noël declared. "That's like their second business, isn't it?"

"Mmm, I kinda doubt it," Paige lamented. "Bolingbroke has been stepping up their security as of late. There's even talks of converting it into a supermax facility, where even the worst criminals can't escape."

"Yes, a raid on Bolingbroke..."

Lester interjected himself into the conversation, looking as if deep in thought.

"...Even the Black Skulls' capabilities would be tested by such a venture. And the security they have in place is big, so breaking it would require not only a ludicrous disregard for the ire of local and federal authorities, but also lots and lots of money. Breaking a couple of prisoners out would be hard to justify that kind of cost. BUT...that doesn't matter, because you're neither breaking into a prison nor getting sent off to one. This bank is small, completely unprepared for what you're about to do. All you need now is the car. You two go get it, while me and Paige go and, uh...what was it we were gonna do again, Paige?"

"You...basically bribed me into going to your place and assisting you with your medication."

"Oh don't be ridiculous, Paige, you volunteered to help me apply decongestant cream to my chest."

"Volunteer? You said you had the new hacking module at your place, and I could have it if I helped you with this."

"Oh, uh...I did say that, didn't I?" said Lester, laughing mischievously. "I meant to say that that'd be in next week. I must've gotten the dates mixed up. But, uh, since you're with me already might as well-"

"You...do realize that I can easily hurt you if I wanted to, right?"

"Ah, but you won't," said Lester, poking her playfully. "I know you, Paige, you wouldn't hit a poor defenseless crippled man. Especially one who provides you with well-paying jobs on a regular basis."

"Well you sure do like to assume things about people."

She practically slapped Lester's hand away and trudged toward the door.

"Let's go, before you have another 'bowel-voiding incident'."

"I told you I'd gotten those under control! It hasn't happened in weeks now!"

By this point, however, Paige was gone, leaving Lester to face the two rookie bank robbers. His face had reddened, and he was two ashamed to look at them directly.

"Uhm...sorry you two had to, um..."

He cleared his throat and momentarily regained some nerve, standing up straight.

"Good luck. Y-you'll do great, I know you will."

He turned away, shuffling awkwardly from the room.

"...Yeesh, and I thought WE were dysfunctional," said Alexia.

"Oh, we are. Those two are just fucked up in a different way."

"How so?"

"They have a common interest and profession, but literally no other complementary features. You and me though, we just have a common profession. And even then, we haven't really made contact until now."

"Well, as Lester said, we do have a common goal to work towards now. And there's lots of money involved, so just try not to be so negative."

"Pssh, you're one to talk. All doomy and gloomy and goth-y."

"Come on, Noël-"

She coughed. "Goth girl."

"This is childish..." sighed Alexia turned over to the planning board.

"Uhh...hello?!" she exclaimed, pointing to her 8-year-old self. "I am technically a child."

"Yeah, even though you swear like a sailor."

"Well, yeah, and I also have an IQ of over 180 and I know how to drive, so..."

"I see...Well then, little miss prodigy, care to take a look at this board? Lord knows a confused goth chick like me could sure use your smarts."

"Now we're talkin'!" exclaimed Noël before she skipped over to Alexia's side. "I'm glad you're seeing things from my perspective."

"Don't mention it...Well, from what I can gather, it looks like they're keeping the car at the very top of this parking garage."

"Idiots. That's such an open space, and there's no contingency plan for them to get it out quickly."

"Yeah, but what's more...there'll be lots of shadows around nighttime. That'll make it easy for us to creep up on 'em."

"Ah yes, the element of surprise...I knew you goth people liked to skulk around in dark places, but I'm enthused that you're deciding to put that predilection to a good use."

"Except I'm not really a goth, Noël. I'm more into hard rock, heavy metal bands."

"Same fucking difference! It's all the same exact thing."

"Noooo, goth music is completely distinct from-"

"Black hair, black eyeliner, singing about how miserable you are while wearing skinny jeans and generic band T-shirts. Really, it's all the fucking same."

"Okay then," she said, her voice hardening with irritation. "So which is it? Am I a goth, or an emo? Because what you just described sounds like an emo."

"Again, same difference! That's like asking me to tell the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery. They're basically identical, with maybe minor variations."

"Trust me, they are COMPLETELY different. They're two separate subcultures and music genres, only most often it's the emos who whine about people not understanding them and pretend to have serious mental disorders for attention."

"Ah. So you're saying you're an emo girl instead of a goth girl?"

"No, I didn't say that at all-"

"O-okay, okay. I'm game. Although in my opinion, 'goth girl' has a much better ring to it."

"Well, you can call me whatever you like, Noël. Lord knows I've been called much worse than 'goth girl'."

She brushed past Noël and over to the crate of supplies that her and Paige had struggled to carry up to the heist room. Prying the lid off the enormous box, she started to rummage through the plethora of supplies that Lester had left them, including such useful items as body armor and ammunition for their various weapons. She also came across the industrial power drill that they would be using to pry box number 167 out of the impenetrable steel vault wall.

Digging even deeper, she also came across two jet black ski masks, one of which she tossed over to Noël.

"Mannnnn..." she groaned upon seeing what it was. "These are so hideous! It's gonna totally mess up my hair too!"

"Well, we can't very well don our skull masks, since this heist wasn't sanctioned by the boss or the crew. So-"

Suddenly, she heard a peculiar sound behind her, almost like the sound of two pieces of metal clicking against one another.

Turning around, she saw Noël with a large pair of scissors, haphazardly cutting a gigantic hole into her ski mask, immediately causing Alexia's gut to wrench in panic.

"...WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!"

"Just making some modifications. No way I'm letting this mask ruin my pigtails."

After a sizable portion of the mask's scalp had been cut off, Noël carefully slipped it on, pulling her pigtails out so that they hung outside of the mask's confines.

"You know, I spend like half an hour braiding them each morning."

"Riiight. So what's next? Are you gonna, like, decorate the mask with stickers and glitter?"

"Hey, that's not a bad idea actually. You got some?"

Noël smiled at her, but Alexia simply shook her head dismissively.

"We'll have time for arts and crafts later. For now, though, let's just focus on stealing us a bulletproof heist car. We'd better leave now so we can get the jump on this crew."

"Fair enough...You lead the way, gothy. I'll follow at a reasonable distance so as not to contract the stench of death and despair."

Alexia did not bother to respond to Noël's insult, instead walking at a brisk pace toward her apartment's communal garage.

The terribly-mismatched duo traversed the garage to Alexia's personal vehicle, which had held up exceedingly well through all the jobs it had carried her through. A few noticeable bullet holes and dents reflected on its surface, and its paint had started to fade from its once-vibrant blood red.

Alexia started the engine, then accelerated out of the underground garage.

The Sun had just begun to set in Los Santos, casting its streets in the unearthly shadows of skyscrapers. Alexia estimated that it would be about dusk before they reached the parking deck, giving them ample time to infiltrate the premises and forge an attack strategy. As she went over their situation in her head, she glanced over to Noël, who was busy applying a layer of lip balm to her face.

"...You're applying makeup in preparation for a shootout with Korean gangsters?"

"Hey, just because you're fine with looking like a corpse doesn't mean some of us don't want to look good."

"A corpse?!" shouted Alexia, her face turning red with pent-up anger. "Okay, twerp, y-you've crossed the line! Why are you such a fucking jerk?!"

"Ooh, I'm so scared, I really am - hey, would you mind rolling up the window a bit? Let some air in to counteract the corpse-"

Before she could insult Alexia further, the lip balm was taken out of her tiny hand and thrown violently out of the window by an enraged Alexua, who was fuming as her hands gripped the wheel.

"Hey, what the fuck, gothy?! Why'd you-"

"Because you didn't answer my question," she growled. "Why the hell are you such a fucking jerk all the time? If you're trying to be funny, then I've got news for you: the joke is getting old and INCREDIBLY annoying. And if you're trying to irritate me, it's worked, so you can fucking stop now."

"Who's to say if either of those is true?"

"I dunno. That's why I'm asking you."

Noël paused for a moment, as if in deep thought, while the atmosphere in the tiny car remained tense and completely silent.

"Well...I guess I've just always been like this...I dunno what else to tell you."

"BULL CRAP!" Alexia shouted angrily.

"I'm telling the truth! Back at the mental institution, they said I had psychopathic tendencies, like a very low sense of empathy for other people. I mean, as far back as I can possibly remember, I've been-"

"Speaking of which, what exactly did you do to wind up in an insane asylum, anyway?"

"What makes you think I'll tell you that, gothy?"

"...Because I've been incarcerated too, believe it or not."

"You were?"

"Yeah...Suppose it's one of the few things we have in common."

"Okay. Well, what'd you do?"

Alexia grimaced as she had to recount the story again, but since she was so curious to know more of Noël's background, she forged ahead.

"I...stabbed one of my classmates nearly to death with a pair of scissors, in a fit of rage. I spent 2 years in juvenile detention for it."

"Cooooold!" laughed Noël. "Damn, gothy, I didn't think you had that in you."

"What do you mean?"

"I-I mean, just because you're so...docile and helpless most of the time."

Noël swooned, putting her hand over her face.

 _"Oooh, please someone help me,"_ Noël mocked in a whispery falsetto voice. _"I'm so reserved and delicate, I can hardly do anything for myself. Can't you tell by my quiet, high-pitched tone of voice? I would never hurt a fly!"_

Alexia gritted her teeth until she felt they would crack, seething with anger.

"I do NOT sound like that!"

 _"I-I mean, I try my best despite my crippling shyness, but I just can't seem to do anything right! Oh, please put me out of my eternal misery!"_

"Okay then, you fucking piece of turd!" she shouted at the girl. "What did YOU do to get yourself locked up? Huh? Did you just annoy your parents so much that they just gave up and put you in there?"

"Uhm, not quite. There's a bit more to it than that."

"Then what? I'm listening."

"Okay then...I was put in there because I didn't have parents. I never knew my dad, and my mom? Well...I killed her. So there, now you know."

Alexia instantaneously went silent, shock overcoming her previous irritation and annoyance with the girl.

"...You...you killed your own mother?"

"Yeah," she said matter-of-factly, with a rather bored expression on her tiny face. "I guess you probably think I'm, like, the incarnate of Satan or something now."

"No, no, I-I...I'm just wondering why you did such a thing, that's all."

"Well, my mom was pretty fucking useless as a whole. While she was off getting high or dealing with her various 'clients', I was pretty much taking care of myself. I had to, in order to survive. And when she finally gave enough of a crap to see me, she'd always try and make it up to me by taking me out to eat or something. Like that made up for all the times when she left me with no food in the house and bills unpaid. So I, as a freaking 5-year-old, had to take the car, drive over to the grocery store, and use whatever money I could find in the house to buy basic amenities. And if there wasn't any money, I had to take any valuables I could find over to the pawn shop and sell them. Oooohhh, did she get mad at me whenever I did that, even though I was half-starving...So yeah, i-it was neglect at its finest, really. Even though if I hadn't learned to drive at such a young age, I wouldn't have become such a proficient street racer. So...yeah, I suppose I do kinda owe her for that."

"Jesus Christ, Noël...I...I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry? What are you sorry for?" she asked Alexia with contempt.

"Th-that you had to go through all that. I mean, I had a shitty upbringing as well, but it wasn't anything like that."

"Well, whoop-de-fucking-doo. You must be proud of yourself, for finding someone whose childhood was shittier than yours."

"Yeah...But, what finally pushed you to kill your mom, though?"

"A-alright, alright, so we were at Cluckin' Bell, right?" she divulged as if it was nothing. "She knew that my favorite thing on the menu was the 10-piece chicken tendies meal. But she's like, _'Oh, Noël, I ran out of money buying crack last night, I don't have enough to buy you the 10-piece chicken tendies. Lemme buy you a freakin' KIDS MEAL instead.'_ Like, REALLY, BITCH?! You leave me to fend for myself, taking care of all your crap for you, and you don't even have the common decency to buy me a 10-piece chicken tendies?!...Well, needless to say, not getting my tendies was what pushed me over the edge. I'd finally had enough of her and her crap...So, that night, I...I took a knife from the kitchen drawer, and went into my mom's room while she was passed out drunk...Then, I slashed her throat open. Felt weirdly satisfying, actually. Like I was a medieval knight slaying a slumbering dragon and saving the entire village."

Alexia eyed her warily, and Noël picked up on this curious sideways stare.

"O-okay, I acknowledge that is kind of a fucked-up analogy, especially considering the circumstances...That's probably why they decided to lock me up in the first place, actually."

"I could see that."

"Aw man, you..." she started, but ended up covering her mouth to stifle giggles. "Y-you should've seen when the cops first arrived. They saw me, right? Holding a butcher knife, covered in my mother's blood. I-I kinda tried to play it up a little, y'know just for shits and giggles. I talked in this creepy little voice and smiled all dementedly. I think one of the guys wet himself, he was so scared."

As Noël continued to laugh and boast about the killing of her mother, Alexia was not sure what to think of the little girl sitting beside her. Clearly, she was heavily insightful for her age and had her own line of reasoning for her actions. But, the girl showed not the slightest hint of remorse for having committed such a brutal matricide.

And if Alexia remembered correctly, a lack of remorse was what clearly denoted a psychopath, which only served to increase her overall uneasiness around Noël.

"So...you're saying you don't feel even the slightest bit of guilt or wrongdoing for having killed your mother?"

"No. Why would I?" said Noël with a shrug. "Basic bitches are always gonna remain basic bitches. You heard what all she did to me."

"Look, getting back at your mother is one thing, but...to slaughter someone like that, it takes just an impeccable level of hatred and rage and misery, pent up and writhing within you for years on end...I don't know you, Noël, so I don't know what exactly you were feeling on that night."

"I was feeling pretty good actually," said Noël as she smiled cheekily. "I had a glass of orange juice and some animal crackers, then gave myself a little pep talk before I-"

"Noël, she had to have abused you in some other way. From what you told me, your mom really doesn't sound that bad, especially not bad enough to warrant killing her."

"Ohh, here we go again, another lecture about morals..."

"I'm not lecturing you! I-I just..."

Alexia sighed heavily, her eyes glossed over with sadness.

"Look...My mom abused me physically and emotionally...When I broke my wrist one time while playing with my brothers, she beat my ass with a leather belt before even pondering taking me to the hospital. And whenever she was in one of her depressive moods, she always went on and on about how I never should have been born and how I was at fault for my dad's death, and how I was so pathetic that I couldn't even get a minimum-wage job...Well, however much of her criticism was true, it still hurt. She made me angry and depressed constantly, and I even thought of hurting her sometimes. Even...stabbing her, like you did. I never went through with it, partly because of my brothers, who kinda kept me sane with their companionship. So I just find it really hard to believe that these thoughts manifested in you so quickly, without being wracked by internal frustration and hatred for years and years. I mean, I'm not saying your mom was right, she obviously wasn't. She was wrong to do that to you. But...I don't see how you don't-"

Alexia was interrupted by Noël snoring in a comedic manner, with her mouth wide open to denote the act as fake.

"Whuh...?" she pretended to wake up suddenly. "Oh, sorry, y-you kinda lost me. Again, I'm technically a kid, so my attention span is pretty short."

Alexia had the insatiable urge to blow up at Noël for her bratty arrogance, but she realized that the notion was pointless.

No matter how much she spilled her guts to the girl, she would not magically begin to feel empathy for others or regret the killing of her mother. Her mental composition did not allow for her to feel this particular emotion, and her natural stubbornness and egotism prevented even the possibility of Alexia appealing to emotion for some kind of reaction from Noël.

Besides, such feelings as sympathy and guilt would adversely affect the job they had to do. Alexia's moral stances would simply be seen as unbelievably hypocritical as she gunned down Korean gangsters without so much as a second thought.

The feeling that she would again have to perform mass slaughter in order to survive weighed on her once again as the parking garage came in sight. She made a left turn and entered the darkened space, navigating its concrete corridors with her headlights.

"Okay, here we go," said Noël as she loaded her machine gun. "So, we just gonna creep up on these guys, right?"

"Yeah. Just wait for my signal, and don't start shooting until we're in position. I'm gonna come at 'em from the north side so they won't see us coming."

Noël scoffed, surveying the quiet, empty surroundings.

"What is up with these guys, anyway? They're not even gonna put up any security measures inside the garage?"

"Well, that just means there's probably gonna be a ton of them up on the roof, so be prepared."

"What do you take me for, gothy? I'm not gonna prepare myself for a welcoming party on the top floor."

"So, that's the gun you chose to bring for the occasion...?"

Alexia's attention turned down to the girl's machine gun, an incredibly-small Tec-9 submachine gun, which paled in comparison to her decked-out Special Carbine.

Noël brandished her weapon and showed its shiny, metallic surface that clearly denoted it as a new gun.

"Yeah, this is what I chose to bring. I can't really carry the heavier machine guns and assault rifles 'cause I'm so small. But, I would say this here fits perfectly for a girl of my size and temperament."

"That only fires 9-millimeter rounds, plus you're gonna have to reload every few seconds because you didn't buy an extended clip attachment. It also has an inferior range, so you'll have to get closer to the bad guys in order to even get a decent shot at them."

"Oh, well what the fuck do you know!" shouted Noël with noticeable anger. "I don't need all that crap to shoot well!"

"I'm just sayin', Noël. My rifle here has an extended magazine, plus an attached scope for making long-range shots. And on top of that, this suppressor here reduces muzzle flash and recoil when firing."

"You're mighty quick to point out all those fancy features on that gun, but it doesn't mean you can actually shoot it."

Alexia laughed.

"Look, kid, I've been shooting guns since before you were even born, okay? So I'm pretty confident in my-"

"Now what kind of bullshit is that? Just because you've been alive more years than me means you're better than me?"

The older girl gave a prolonged sigh, the result of having to deal with the bothersome younger girl for hours on end.

"Noël, you're really trying my patience. I never said I was better than you, just that I have more experience than you."

"Well, we'll see if that experience holds up here, or if I'll just beat you again."

"What, this is some kind of demented competition now? For who can get the highest body count?"

The young girl shrugged innocently.

"I dunno, goth girl. It's whatever we make it out to be, I suppose."

"Well, I wanna make it a covert operation. No bullshit, no internal strife between us. What do you say we just put all that pettiness aside for the sake of this score we're taking?"

Seeing as they had neared the top of the garage, Alexia darkened her headlights, then silenced the dull roar of her engine to keep from being heard by dangerous gangsters on the uppermost level.

The car had come to a stop beside an upward-sloping ramp that led to the uncovered top floor, exposing the night sky irradiated with orange light pollution. The sounds of multiple conversations in Korean were audible to the two girls as they exited their vehicle, making their way silently up the ramp and into cover behind a nearby sedan.

Peeking out ever-so-carefully behind the car's trunk, Alexia could clearly see the scene ahead of her: a whole host of gangsters were present, armed to the teeth with heavy assault rifles and all gathered around the prized heist car on the opposite end of the garage from the two girls.

As soon as the coast was clear, Alexia moved up to another car, signalling for Noël to follow her. They continued in this fashion until they were in a prime position to launch an assault upon the unsuspecting heist crew. The car beckoned to them like a damsel in distress from the far wall of the garage, seemingly begging to be saved from its Korean captors and put to good use in the girls' own bank heist.

The two burgeoning score-takers each donned their ski masks before moving cover one last time, this time splitting up between two different cars. Alexia sheltered behind a sports sedan, while Noël safely hunkered down behind a fortified SUV.

Alexia took a few deep breaths to calm her troubled nerves before looking over to her partner. Surprisingly though, the young girl did not seem to be looking at her for confirmation on when to start the assault, instead grinning deviously, as if she had come up with a plan entirely on her own.

 _"Psssst. Noël!"_

Alexia whispered hoarsely to the girl, but she seemed to pay no attention to Alexia, the leader of the heist.

 _"Twerp! Hey, what are you d-"_

Upon seeing the object Noël had taken from her vest and held delicately in her hand, Alexia was instantly stricken with terror.

She could do nothing as she pulled the pin on the grenade and tossed it at the gangsters.

 **"NOËL, NOOOOO!"**

The gangsters heard Alexia's panic-ridden shout, but no sooner had they turned around when the area was suddenly engulfed in a massive fireball, swallowing everything in its path and setting car engines alight, causing several more explosions and setting off virtually every car alarm in the entire complex.

Alexia, meanwhile, was terrified that their cherished heist car had also been destroyed by Noël's incredibly-stupid action, ruining any chance they had of taking the score, which meant that they would surely be facing Lester's cybernetic wrath.

She could not check on the status of the car, however, as bullets pelted against her position in a deluge of heavy, angry artillery fire.

Gangsters shouted in a language unintelligible to the two girls, taking cover behind whatever solid object was left on the roof. Both simply shot at whatever they could see or hear.

After Alexia had downed a gangster near her position, she had sufficient time to raise herself from cover and survey the smoking, bloody scene around her. Vehicles had been turned on their sides and totaled beyond recognition, but miraculously, the Kuruma they were after remained undamaged amidst all the chaos. While this fact managed to greatly calm her nerves, it did not lessen her anger toward Noël, who continued shooting her Tec-9 at the advancing gangsters.

"Hey, what the hell is your problem, twerp?!" shouted Alexia over the chaos and gunfire. "You very well could've blown up the car! What the fuck were you-!"

"Relax, gothy, I didn't throw it far enough for the explosion to reach the Kuruma! Besides, look how many guys I took out with just that one grenade!"

Looking out at the battlefield once again, Alexia can see that the garage was now strewn with carnage, both of vehicular and human origin. Indeed, Noël had cleared out a large fraction of the gangsters in their way, leaving less work for her Tec-9 and Alexia's Special Carbine.

Noël moved up towards the car, bullets still flying at them. Alexia had no choice but to follow behind, despite her looking much more like a follower than a heist leader.

The pair quickly gunned down the few remaining gangsters guarding their cherished ride. They made quick work of a man who had been hiding behind the Kuruma during the battle and attempted to surprise them when they reached the car, but the unfortunate man was instead filled with lead by two sets of machine gun bullets. Noël grabbed the keys from the dead man's pocket and raced toward the Kuruma.

Both girls climbed into the car, their hearts racing and their veins coursing with sweet adrenaline. Suddenly, however, Alexia noticed that she was sitting in the passenger seat, and it was Noël sitting behind the steering wheel with the keys in her hand.

"Hey, what the fuck? Who said you were driving?"

"No one. I just thought that, after having to sit in the passenger seat all day, I at least deserved to be the one to drive the heist car first."

Alexia grimaced.

"That's...fair, I suppose. But I'm gonna have to be the one driving during the actual heist. You'll be working on the hack that gets the vault open."

"Yeah. I know. You don't have to tell me. For now, though, I think I'll show you how a real professional drives, goth girl."

Without warning, Noël slammed on the gas and the car lurched forward down the tunnel that led to the exit.

Performing incredibly-tight turns at high speed as she descended the parking garage, the girl's manic driving jostled Alexia heavily in her seat, and she held onto her seatbelt tightly to keep from being thrown out of the window.

 _"Come in!"_ a voice on the girls' earpieces called. _"Come in, can you read me?"_

"Lester?" asked Alexia. "Wait, how are you-"

 _"There's no time to explain how I'm watching you right now. Let's just say, I've patched into the Korean gang's phone lines, and they've just dispatched backup to come and take their car back. I'd expect a fair number of them. and I'd expect them to be fairly pissed about having their priceless heist car stolen. They'll want to get it back at any cost."_

Alexia sighed heavily, now that she knew that there were several groups of angry Koreans after them.

"Alright. Well, thanks for the heads-up, Lester."

 _"Don't mention it. Just try and bring the car back to my garment factory in one piece. A-and try to get yourselves back in one piece as well, if you don't mind."_

"Yeah, we will. Don't worry about it."

Seeing the inherent danger that would shortly manifest, Alexia grabbed her trusty AP pistol and readied it for potentially-heavy combat.

"Quit shaking so much, goth girl," chided Noël. "In case you hadn't heard my explanation earlier, this car is heavily-protected with layers of bulletproof steel. Not only that, it's got highly-impressive traction and enough horsepower to rival even the finest sports cars out there."

"Y-yeah, yeah I know. I-I just-"

"We'll be fine, okay? Just trust in my ability to drive us out of this, and I'll trust in your ability to shoot anyone in our way."

"Right..." she said quietly, looking with heavy anxiety upon her small-yet-deadly weapon.

The first van, filled with incredibly angry armed Korean gangsters, met them on the second floor of the garage. Noël swerved heavily to avoid them, which threw off Alexia's aim significantly. All bullets fired by her ended up in the concrete walls or flying into parked cars rather than striking the gangsters.

No sooner had they passed this obstacle when another vehicle manifested in the garage, blocking the entire north ramp that led downwards. In response, Noël turned sharply and sped across the parking lot to reach the south ramps, several bullets following her in this hasty detour.

Noël exited the garage and made a right turn, but a car full of Koreans were right on their tail, unleashing bullets into the Kuruma's trunk. Alexia fired back with her heavy automatic pistol, only stopping when she had to reload.

"Hey, goth girl! You gonna shoot these guys or not?"

"I'm trying, okay? Just try and keep the car steady so I can get a shot at them!"

"Are you kidding?!"

"Just do it!"

Sighing with annoyance, Noël temporarily halted her manic swerving and maneuvering, allowing Alexia a few seconds to get a shot at the driver of the car after them.

Sure enough, her very first bullet hit the car's driver square in the forehead, leaving his panicked companions to try and control the car. At such a high speed, however, the vehicle lost control and rolled several times before wrapping itself around a tree, killing every pursuer inside.

Alexia reentered the vehicle to reload, half-expecting Noël to congratulate her for her achievement.

"Yeah, okay you're so impressive. But we've got more company coming up, gothy."

Up ahead, two sets of headlights manifested, which began to follow the car as soon as they passed the intersection.

Adjusting for long range, Alexia let fly a volley of bullets that shot out one of the vehicles' two front tires and incapacitated its engine, leaving the other car to give chase. Alexia hastily reloaded before unleashing more artillery-laden fury at the remaining pursuers.

Despite the heavy number of bulletssailing in the air right past her, Alexiawasable to concentrate enough to again kill the driver of a vehicle. She continued firing into the vehicle, killing at least one more gangster before the car veered off the road, crashing head-on into a building.

Noël flew past an intersection at well over 100 miles per hour, just barely avoiding traffic coming from the adjacent road. From Alexia's viewpoint, it felt asif Noël was going so incredibly fast that she feared even the toughened heist car would break apart from how hard she was pushing it.

Without warning, yet another hostile car pulled up in front of the fleeing Kuruma. Noël turned sharply to avoid it, but the car managed to clip the Kuruma's tail end, sending it into a violent spin before it came to rest when it crashed into a nearby concrete wall.

Because of the Kuruma's protective layers, both occupants were completely unharmed from the accident. Alexia began to clap slowly.

"Wow. You sure showed me how a professional drives, Noël."

"Oh, would you shut the fuck up? It's one crash!"

"Yeah, I guess everyone just gets one, huh?"

"I said _SHUT UP_!"

Alexia snickered deviously, deriving great enjoyment from seeing Noël's frustration, while also gaining a sense of retribution after seeing the girl who liked to spin other vehicles out get spinned out herself, seeing how it feels to have this cheap maneuver performed on her.

Nonetheless, she drew her AP pistol and successfully killed the two gangsters within before the Kuruma once again accelerated. Seeing no more gangsters on their coattails, Noël made a beeline for Lester's garment factory, her face still stuck in a furious scowl that Alexia couldn't help but derive secret joy from seeing.

Noël pulled the car into an underpass opposite to the garment factory, where Paige was awaiting their arrival.

"Ah, you made it. With only a few minor dents and bullet holes, it looks like."

"Yeah, but...y'know, at least they're in the car and not in us."

Alexia laughed shyly after her attempt at a joke, while Noël simply retained her heavy frown.

"Yeah, well this car can withstand enough hellfire to make it through whatever you may face, especially the cops. Does it drive okay? Any, uh, issues to report?"

"Well, we did crash-"

Suddenly, Alexia felt an incredible pain in her foot, the result of Noël stomping on it.

"Agh! Hey, what the fuck?!"

Glaring angrily, Noël began to hit furiously at Alexia, landing a few hits on her stomach. A furious Alexia hit Noël back, punching her several times in the back while holding the smaller girl in a headlock.

Paige stepped up, prying the two girls apart forcibly.

"Hey, calm the fuck down, you two! What's with you guys?!"

Noël screamed in frustration before pulling away, her eyes livid with an intense anger. Her shoulders heaved as she breathed heavily, seething through her teeth.

Alexia looked on beside Paige, her rage soon turning into a sense of empathy for the girl, who she can tell had been set off by something she had said.

"C'mon, Noël. Look, I'm sorry, okay?"

 _"You just...couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you..."_

"Paige here might have wanted to know about the crash so she can repair the car accordingly. I know it's not your fault."

"Yeah, Noël," added Paige in a soft voice. "Just calm down, okay sweetie?"

The girl appeared to relax, her eyes losing their former vexation before she turned back, approaching Alexia wordlessly to accept her apology.

However, something within Alexia couldn't help but tell her that something was off with Noël as she walked. Her face was completely blank, as if trying to conceal heavy emotions, and her silence was made all the more ominous by a certain heaviness under her eyes, as if what she truly felt was cast under the shadows of her lower eyelids.

Alexia felt a heavy uneasiness as Noël stood there ominously, and she could see a sudden spark of hatred fleck through her beady little eyes.

"...Noël-"

She had little time to react as Noël suddenly grabbed hold of her earring, a metallic skull-shaped piece of jewelry embedded in her lower ear. She pulled on the earring until it was ripped out of Alexia's earlobe, leaving a large, jagged hole where it once was in her ear.

Crying out in pain, Alexia held up a hand to numb the immense stinging pain in her ear, only to discover that she was bleeding heavily. She looked over at Noël, who smiled evilly while holding the blood-stained earring between her fingers, then letting it drop onto the ground.

Even Paige appeared incredibly shocked by this act, while Alexia's eyes filled with bloody rage. Her veins pulsated, her vision narrowed, and her thought process was concerned with nothing but retribution in the form of Noël's blood.

"OH, YOU ARE SO FUCKING DEAD!"

A furious Alexia charged toward Noël, growling furiously.

Noël countered Alexia's attack with a punch to the gut, then made furious work of Alexia's face by repeatedly scratching her with her fingernails, which fortunately were not sharp enough to break the skin.

This action, however, only served to enrage Alexia further, prompting her to drive her shoulder into the girl's stomach and tackle her to the ground.

With Noël lying down, Alexia inflicted several blows upon the girl's face, her rage taking over all rational thought as she punched the girl repeatedly, letting out all of the frustration and anger she had caused her throughout the day.

Her tirade was ended by a sharp pain in her shin, the result of Noël having kicked her in this highly vulnerable area. Groaning with pain, she fell off of Noël and onto the concrete, which gave a bloodied and battered Noël the opportunity to satiate her own sadistic bloodlust.

She hit and slapped Alexia multiple times, even though her timy hands did not have much of an effect on her. In response, she resorted to pulling Alexia's hair. Her senses were filled with pain, and the cloud of anger in her mind grew black.

However, Alexia suddenly witnessed Noël fall off of her, screaming in pain and holding her stomach as if it had been terribly injured.

Alexia tried to stand up, but was instead met with the same crippling pain in her gut, courtesy of Paige's boot.

As the two girls writhed in agony on the ground, the professional hacker looked down with fiery disdain upon the two supposed partners, the ones she had trusted to perform the heist.

"Okay, this shit, is not gonna fly! Not on my watch!...Look at you two, behaving like fucking five-year-olds! Well, actually, I take that back, even five-year-olds would know better than to rip peoples' earrings out of their fucking ears! This is fucking ridiculous!...Now, after the job is pulled, you two can fight until you fucking kill each other, that's fine by me. But until then, you two had better stop behaving like assholes, or I'm gonna tear each of you a new asshole! Is that clear?"

Alexia groaned, feeling as if her guts had been set alight.

"Yes, ma'am..."

Paige directed her glare towards Noël, who shrank down in fear of being kicked again.

"Y...yes, ma'am," she said in a tight whisper from the pain in her stomach.

"That's more like it."

She walked back over to the Kuruma, away from the pathetic scene with two girls lying ignominiously on the dirty concrete.

"We move in the morning, you two. Don't forget."

"Got it..." Alexia called weakly.

Paige climbed into the drivers' seat, then sped away from the garment factory to a place where she could repair any damage the car had incurred.

Alexia panted heavily as the pain in her gut lessened, and her intense rage soon gave way once again to well-reasoned thought. She looked over at Noël, who was herself slowly recovering from the painful blow.

The two girls simply stared at each other, unsure what to say after their latest altercation that had inexplicably turned physical. Both soon realized how incredibly stupid they had been by resorting to violence, now that the cloud of blinding anger had passed.

Alexia found her detached earring on the ground beside her, which she quickly stored in her pocket. Her ear was still bleeding profusely, and her earlobe most likely had a jagged hole torn in it that would make reinsertion of the earring impossible for the moment. She would most likely have to let the wound heal, then get her ear re-pierced at a later time.

She rose from her sitting position, yet remained hunched over from the persistent pain in her gut.

"Well...I gotta go home and get this bandaged up."

"Okay," said Noël in a detached manner.

"I can drop you off at Lamar's on the way back."

"Nah. Nah, I'm good..."

Noël sat up, holding her knees to her chest as if she would start to cry. Her eyes were downcast, her tiny face melancholy and marked with bruises.

"...I-I'll just have Lamar pick me up, if that's cool."

"Y-yeah, sure. Whatever you like, Noël."

Alexia began to walk away, pulling out her phone to call her mechanic and summon her Oracle.

"...Just, uh, remember to meet at my place in the morning, so we can move as soon as possible."

"Yeah, of course...See you then..."

Noël buried her face in her knees so that Alexia could not see the tears that formed in her eyes.

Instead of mocking this, however, Alexia respected Noël's wish to be left alone. She walked out of the alleyway, leaving the little girl to sob in solitude.


	22. The Fleeca Job: Heist Finale

"So you're sure you're okay with Jess getting the credit for all your work?"

 _"Yeah, I'm sure. Jess has done me more than a few favors before, so I suppose I owe her this one."_

"I swear, you're so humble."

Alexia laughed as she talked with her beloved Damien, who was at the moment undertaking an infiltration of the Rose compound that would be credited to Jess to explain her long absence. Talking over the landline to avoid undue tracing of their call, Damien had filled Alexia in on some of the things he had seen, posing as a member of the Roses and gaining access to their secluded compound in Blaine County.

 _"...Well, I guess you've heard how my bid's going. How's the job that you're pulling with that, uh...that girl you told me about?"_

"Well, she's still a gigantic pain in the ass to deal with, no matter how smart she is for her age. But that's okay because, in a couple hours, I never even have to deal with her again."

Damien laughed.

 _"That's good to hear, Lex. Take it from me, most of the people you'll meet are gonna be kind of assholes. Not all, just...most."_

"Yeah, but this girl, i-it's like...it's like she's a whole different breed of asshole. She knows very well that what she does is wrong, but yet feels no sense of guilt whatsoever. In fact, she even seems to enjoy it!"

 _"Damn, man that's just fucked up."_

"You have no idea, man. It's just...maddening to be in the same space as her for very long."

 _"So she's basically got an adult's brain...but with a child's lack of restraint?"_

Alexia paused, as what Damien described seemed to perfectly put Noël's condition into words.

"Yeah, that's...that's basically it, actually. Although she's pretty fucking psycho as well. The girl killed her own mother, for God's sake!"

 _"Christ, matricide?...That's like one of the worst things you can even do, man."_

"You're telling me. I mean, I would like to say that I'm jealous of her inability to feel empathy, but...I feel that if I lacked that emotion completely, then I'd just end up as cruel as her, y'know?"

 _"Alexia, you've actually got a heart. That's a lot more than most of the petty hoods and killers in this town can claim. You...actually genuinely care about people. Somehow, this city...it hasn't corrupted you. I'm sure that highly selfless nature is gonna help you out here in the near future."_

Alexia blushed, laughing nervously.

"Well, I-I don't know about all that..."

 _"Trust me, it's a highly sought-after commodity in this modern age of ours to actually be able to give a shit about our fellow man. I mean, even among us criminal scum, we gotta look out for each other, am I right?"_

"Yeah, I-I guess that's..."

 _"What we need is someone we can trust to lead the crew. I'm...I'm just personally honored to have the privilege of knowing one of the bright souls shining among the rubble and the chaos."_

"...Since when did you become such a poet, Damien?" she asked, laughing at his newfound way with words.

 _"Well..."_ he chuckled nervously. _"O-okay, maybe I've been practicing that line in my head for a while. But I still mean it. Every single word."_

"Awwh, well I appreciate that, babe."

 _"Don't mention it...Well I gotta get goin'. Love you."_

"Love you too."

Alexia blew a kiss through the phone, which she heard Damien repeat before he hung up.

No matter how happy she was to be able to talk with him, Alexia couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for her boyfriend, who she had not even seen for about two weeks, due to his ongoing undercover mission as well as her own jobs, including the heist she was about to pull off with Noël.

The girl, however, was nowhere to be found, despite being a good fifteen minutes late for the meet-up time she had designated. If she did not show up, Alexia could certainly not do the heist on her own. The best she could hope for was to recruit Elena or some other Black Skull and attempt to brief them quickly on all the intricacies of the score, most likely resulting in mass confusion during the heist's execution and leading to failure.

As much as she hated to admit it, the job could not progress without Noël. To calm her nerves, she breathed in deeply through her nose, then let the air out through her lips, finally taking a look at the skyline out her window, which seemed to calm her instantaneously as she gazed upon the skyscrapers, glistening in the abundant sunshine overhead.

Finally, she heard a doorbell ring, and rushed to answer the girl who buzzed impatiently several times.

"There you are!" said Alexia. "Let's get moving, we're late."

"Hey, don't blame me, alright? The traffic was a nightmare."

"Since when do you actually follow traffic laws?" she asked, eyeing Noël suspiciously.

"You know I don't! Just, cars were blocking the road and...and..."

Seeing Alexia's eyes locked onto her with heavy discernment, Noël gave in, bowing her head in shame.

"Okay, I was...actually busy with something."

"Busy with what?"

Noël reached into her pocket, withdrawing her modified mask and showing it proudly to Alexia. Instead, the older girl groaned.

"You actually decorated the fucking mask!"

"Yeah. I found some supplies in Lamar's closet and got to work. I didn't get a wink of sleep last night, but it was totally worth it."

"Oh look at that, you put the letter 'N' in glitter on the front. Yeah, that'll really narrow down the search there."

"What, to people whose names start with N? Be real here, gothy."

"For little girls with long blonde pigtails whose names start with N who live in Los Santos!"

Noël scoffed.

"Whatever, goth girl. You know they're not gonna catch us. That is, if you actually do your job and destroy the security cameras in the bank lobby."

"Yeah, I wonder if you can actually do _your_ job, or if that drill's just gonna be too heavy for you, Tiny Hands."

"Ohh, you wanna go again, don't you?!" said Noël, raising her fists into a fighting stance.

"Yeah, maybe I do! It felt pretty fucking good to be able to actually punch you in the face, twerp, after I'd been thinking about doing it all day!"

"Yeahh, it...i-it felt pretty good punching you as well! I-I mean, that actually released A LOT of pent-up hatred."

"Same here, honestly...I-I just..."

Both girls paused, realizing that they were experiencing the exact same emotions simultaneously.

Suddenly, they both found themselves breaking out into a spontaneous bit of snickering as they reminisced on just how much internal anger they had released in their late-night melee the previous night, and how both had experienced the exact same relief of letting mounds of internal anger out physically.

Despite Alexia having a bandage over one ear and Noël sporting a few facial bruises including a black eye, both managed to find joy in the fact that, through their bickering and verbal fighting throughout the day yesterday, they had actually managed to put their thoughts of violence into action instead of letting the thought simply rankle in the dark depths of their collective conscious. The snickering soon turned to full-blown laughter between the two, who both felt quite relieved to have let all of their frustrations out in such a manner.

"Y'know," said Alexia once the laughter had died down. "Maybe we can channel our respective violent tendencies into something healthier. Like, we obviously can't be having fist fights all the time. Maybe like boxing or arm-wrestling or something?"

"What, so you can have an unfair advantage?" questioned Noël, looking up at the taller woman in front of her.

"Hey, I might be way taller than you, but I must admit, you've got impressive strength. I'm kinda scrawny and weak, so I think we'd be about even actually."

"Hmm. Well, I might take you up on that offer...But don't expect me to play fair with your emo ass. Watch me cheat all I want just to see you cry about it."

"And I'll bitch about it all I want, just to see you get mad for calling you out on your shit."

The angry glares they were used to prevailed for a split second, before both girls' eyes softened considerably, and they both chuckled as if in remembrance.

"O-okay, yeah, I can see you doing that," said Noël with a smile. "So, uh, before you start bitching at me again, just remind me again what I'm supposed to be doing."

"I'd be glad to. We're driving over to the garment factory and getting in the heist car."

"I know that part."

"I'm driving us there, while you hack into the bank's security system using that puzzle game you seem to like so much. Once we get there, you trigger the door remotely, and we go in with masks on and guns a-blazing. You head over to the vault with the drill and secure box 167, I'll be outside controlling the crowd. Once we have the box, we escape in the heist car, meet Lester's contact of unknown origin."

"Shit, sounds like a plan, I guess," remarked Noël.

"Yeah, seems pretty simple as far as heists go. No complicated security or anything, discounting the police response."

"Man, fuck the police! You know how many of those pigs I killed escaping from the mental hospital?"

"I would ask, but I kinda don't want to know."

"Well, it was at least like 20. That's not even counting all the nightwatch guards whose throats I slit all ninja-like."

"Yeah, sure Noël."

"...You think I'm not telling the truth!" said Noël, visibly offended by Alexia's condescending tone.

"No, no I'm sure you are. But, uh, no ninja-like throat slitting will be required here, unfortunately."

"Heh, _unfortunately_."

The two found themselves smiling once again, snickering goofily before hurrying to compose themselves into a more business-like pair of criminals.

They made a brief stop in Alexia's heist room to gather necessary equipment: a few sets of body armor as well as a pair of suppressed pump-action shotguns that they would be intimidating the bank's patrons with. Noël also grabbed a rather bulky duffelbag containing the industrial power drill.

Then, with an air of acute anxiety surrounding them, the two up-and-coming heisters entered Alexia's car and sped down Vespucci Boulevard to Lester's derelict garment factory.

The ride was incredibly silent, as both girls knew just how much lay at stake ahead of them. Besides being the biggest take from any job either of them had ever performed, the implications of failure of any sort would be immense. Noël would most likely be sent back to the mental asylum she had escaped from, while Alexia, being charged as an adult, would undoubtedly face the full wrath of the San Andreas legal system for all of her past crimes in the state.

She suddenly thought back to her fugitive status back in her native South Yankton. Perhaps they would even extradite her back there, a state where the death penalty was still regularly implemented.

Chills ran down Alexia's spine, and she resolved not to think of such disturbing scenarios as she approached the garment factory. The heist car was waiting for them, restored to a pristine condition. Alexia climbed into the heist car, finding the keys on top of the sun visor.

"Okay, you sure you can handle all this horsepower, gothy?"

"Yeah, pretty sure..."

She started the Kuruma's engine, satisfied by the powerful roar that emitted from its bulletproof hood.

Shifting into drive, she pressed lightly on the gas, nonetheless causing the car to lurch forward, its engine purring with pure high-octane power.

"See? I told you."

"I'll figure out the car, alright? Why don't you get started on hacking into the system?"

"Alrighty, gothy..."

Sighing, Noël pulled out her phone, accessing Lester's hacking app and once again playing with its user-friendly interface.

"Now, no rush or anything, Noël. Just take your time trying to-"

"Done!"

Noël crossed her arms, smiling proudly, while Alexia stared in utmost astonishment at the girl next to her.

"Damn, that...ALREADY?!"

"Yeah, it's a fucking easy game, like I said. Besides, I uh...I do enjoy puzzle games. Mostly because back when I was locked up in the asylum, that was how I entertained myself."

Alexia nodded to herself, as this satisfactorily explained her affinity for something as simple as common puzzle games.

She also had reason to picture Noël - a highly antisocial, heavily psychopathic little girl, locked up in a white padded room, with nothing to do but to play puzzles and talk to herself. It was no small wonder, then, that her worldview was so narrow, and her ability to empathize with other humans was so limited.

Even though Noël was a bothersome, foul-mouthed demon of a girl, Alexia understood at last why she was like this. Through a past full of neglect, devoid of love, Noël was transformed into the person she was, with hatred and spite taking precedence over love and tolerance. This marked their semi-chummy interactions earlier in the morning as an instance of love prevailing over blind hatred, of perhaps even, if she dared to think it, a new friendship being formed with Noël.

Noticing Alexia's watery eyes and distant stare, Noël cocked an eyebrow at her partner.

"Uhh, hello? Earth to Goth Girl, you still with us?"

In a state of half-contemplation where she was thankfully still able to carry out the mechanical functions of driving a car down the freeway, Alexia returned to full consciousness.

"Err, sorry Noël. Just, uh...daydreaming a bit."

"Well, better here than at the bank, I suppose...Just, uh, don't turn into an actual corpse on me yet, okay? You were, like, all still and everything. It was kinda creepy."

"Sorry, okay? I just...get to thinking sometimes, is all."

Noël laughed.

"Wow, what a great explanation."

"What, you don't ever get lost in your own thought process?"

"Yeah, but not to the point where I just freeze and stare into space like a buffoon. What do you even think about anyway?"

"Lots of things...life, religion, mortality, or even this job we're doing. Sometimes I just get captivated by scenery like skyscrapers and mountains, so much so that I just stare for hours in amazement."

"Oh, well good for you," said Noël sarcastically. "You sound like quite the poet, gothy."

"Not really, I kinda suck at creative writing. I'm more of an analytical type person, y'know? Numbers, figures, statistics. That was my strong area in school at least."

"Ah, a goth who is also an egghead."

"Yeah, sure," Alexia shrugged. "Whatever."

"But that was before you discovered your real talent was stabbing your classmates?"

"Hey, lay off, alright?" she said, her voice hardening. "I feel incredibly shitty for having done that, even now. Not a day goes by that I don't regret having hurt Cassandra."

"Why feel bad about that now though, when you've committed so many other crimes and robbed and killed so many?"

Alexia sighed heavily, the horrible memories weighing on her. Noël, meanwhile, looked as if she was actually listening intently to her partner instead of deriding her as she usually did.

"...I don't know, okay? I-I guess it's partly my personal beliefs telling me that it's wrong. But...during the attack, I was fueled solely by these horrible feelings of rage and savagery. I-it's a very terrible feeling, to lose control of your mind and body to those terrible feelings. How I let such a primal emotion get the better of my rational thoughts, I guess, is what bothers me. I was unable to retain my basic human civility, and as a result, I viciously maimed a teenage girl and never got to finish high school...That's why I'm here right now."

"Shit..." said Noël quietly. "...I'm sorry, I...I didn't know it went that deep."

The car was silent for a few moments as Alexia sped down the freeway, looking morose as she merged onto the Great Ocean Highway, heading north towards Chumash.

"...Thanks for listening anyway, Noël," said Alexia with a sad smile.

"Uhh, I-I'm just forced to be in close proximity to you for this drive," replied Noël, looking away in an attempt to look uninterested. "I thought I'd just entertain myself by gaining insight into a gothic lesbian's thoughts is all. I don't get that opportunity very often."

Noël rubbed the back of her head nervously, as she knew Alexia had seen her actually display sympathy, an emotion that she rarely showed, especially around other people.

"But, if I may offer my own insight," the little girl continued. "...I'm sure you know that none of us can change our pasts. I know I can't. Even if I was all sappy and sympathetic like you and wanted to see my mom alive, I know I couldn't do that. I killed her, it's done. But...y'know, we make the best of the choices we make. For example, you didn't finish high school, so you just had to find another way to make money. Even if that way involves killing to get ahead."

"I try to only kill people when it's necessary...I hope to God I won't have to kill any of the hostages. But I know if they reach for the panic button, I'm gonna have to."

"Look, my advice is: Don't think about what is right and what is wrong...Just think about how much money we'll be getting if we pull this off."

"That's easier said than done..."

Alexia pulled up, parking the Kuruma right in front of the bank doors.

Both girls donned their ski masks and quickly inspected their shotguns to see if they were working. Noël loaded the bag containing the industrial drill onto her tiny shoulders.

"Quick pep talk before we go in?"

A masked and armed Alexia looked at Noël with eyes still profoundly sad, prompting Noël to roll her eyes and sigh heavily.

"Fuck it, why not? Just keep it short."

"Alright..."

Alexia's gloved hand took Noël's own, holding it assuringly.

"Okay, um..." Noël started, unsure on how to rally Alexia's spirits. "...We're career criminals, we can do this, a little police response is nothing to us."

"Right, so we're not going down today," affirmed Alexia, shaking her head. "Nuh-uh. I got plenty more crimes to commit before that happens."

"Only way we're getting out of this is in an armored Kuruma or in a body bag. Frankly, I prefer the Kuruma. It's got comfy-ass seats."

"True that," said Alexia, laughing.

"Alright, so you actually ready to fucking do this, gothy?"

Alexia narrowed her eyes, brandishing her shotgun.

"I'm ready, twerp. Let's hit 'em."

With that said, Noël opened her phone once again and triggered the vault door, causing it to open. The two girls promptly exited their heist car and ran into the bank.

"Sorry! 'Scuse me! Coming through!" shouted Noël as she brushed past the two customers waiting in the lobby.

A profound boom went off in the small building as Alexia entered, firing a shotgun round into the ceiling.

"ALRIGHT, Y'ALL KNOW WHAT THIS IS! ON THE FUCKING FLOOR, NOW!"

The customers, scared beyond their wits, immediately complied, as did the teller behind the glass-plated counter.

Turning to a far corner of the room, she noticed the red light of a security camera beeping, recording her every move.

"Well, we don't want anyone looking in on this party, now do we?"

Cocking her shotgun, Alexia made quick work of this camera as well as the three others watching the lobby, eliminating any chance that she was being broadcast live to the police. The customers were scared beyond all belief by the multiple loud bursts of gunfire.

"Alright, I think I've fully demonstrated this gun is loaded, so - HEY BUDDY, YOU WANNA FUCKING DIE?! GET ON THE GROUND!"

A visibly-shaken man fearfully complied with Alexia's orders, putting his face to the ground. The other customer did the same, while the bank teller cowered behind his desk, powerless to stop the intruders.

Alexia activated her earpiece, using it to communicate with her partner.

"Twerp, how you doing? You see the box, right?"

 _"Y-yeah, yeah, just...one second, alright?"_

Alexia was initially confused, until she saw Noël re-enter the bank lobby and grab a small chair from the waiting area.

"Wait, what are you-!"

"I was too short to reach the lock, alright?" she said, sounding heavily embarrassed. "I needed something to stand on."

"Alright, well just get a move on. We don't wanna waste any more of these peoples' time than we have to."

Noël disappeared back into the vault, leaving Alexia to preside over her hostages, who were more confused than intimidated by the comedic display.

"Look, um...Sorry for me and my diminutive friend's rude entrance, everyone...And for the, uh, bullet holes I just left in your ceiling. But it is what it is, I suppose. Like I said, we don't wanna waste your time. I'd like for you all to get on with your day after these few short minutes are over. It'll be as if nothing happened, save for maybe some minor psychological scarring."

"P-please..." one of the hostages squeaked. "Don't kill me okay? I-I have a family."

Alexia laughed slightly.

"Don't we all? I mean, I certainly don't wanna kill you, friend...but I will if you cross me one more fucking time."

Alexia glared at the man, effectively getting him to cower once again.

Satisfied with how people were actually intimidated by her, she contacted Noël once again.

"Twerp, come in. You all good now?"

 _"Yeah, I'm good. I'm breaking through the locks now!"_

"Alright, cool."

Alexia and the bank patrons could hear terrible screeching of metal coming from the vault, no doubt the result of Noël's drill at work.

"Just remember to take it easy with that drill, alright? Or it's gonna overheat."

 _"I am aware of this, gothy. You don't have to tell me every fucking thing like a child!"_

"I'm not questioning your abilities, I was just kindly reminding you!"

 _"Well, don't, alright? Because I know what I'm..."_

The metallic screeching came to an abrupt halt as the drill overheated, temporarily halting its work on the lock. Noël became enraged by the sound of Alexia laughing from this perfectly-timed occurrence.

 _"WOULD YOU STOP FUCKING DISTRACTING ME!"_ she yelled in a high-pitched voice.

Alexia hunched over, chuckling heartily once again at Noël's misfortune. One of the hostages, a female, soon began to join in the laughter awkwardly.

"Hey, did I say you could laugh?!" Alexia suddenly yelled, pointing her shotgun in the woman's direction and erasing her smile. "I said to not fucking cross me, bitch!"

Alexia fired a shotgun round near to the woman's head, far enough away that she was uninjured, but close and loud enough for her to shrink into a ball of sniveling fear on the floor, silently praying that she would not die.

"What about you, behind the counter?!"

The bank teller looked confused and utterly terrified as Alexia aimed her shotgun at his chest.

"You've been awful quiet over there, you pull any silent alarms on us?"

The teller tried to form words, but could not because of the fear that gripped him.

"IT'S A YES OR NO QUESTION, DUMBASS!" she growled, clicking her shotgun.

"No, n-n-no silent alarms, miss. Just-"

An explosion rang in his ear, the result of Alexia shooting a computer monitor a few feet from the teller, shooting electric sparks and glass around his tiny booth.

"If you're fucking lying to me, I'll pump your ass full of lead and not think twice about it!"

Glancing down at the two hostages on the floor, she witnessed one peeking up from the floor at a red panic button, which prompted her to shoot multiple rounds in their direction to keep them from trying anything.

"SAME GOES FOR YOU! This is a robbery right now, but if you wanna make it a fucking massacre, I'd be happy to oblige!"

She pumped a couple more rounds into the ceiling, scattering dust over the hostages, before shooting at the glass that surrounded the teller's office, creating cracks in the supposedly-bulletproof glass.

As she continued firing, scaring the hostages beyond relief, Alexia soon came to realize what exactly it was that she was doing; and when it hit her, it was such a joyous epiphany that she momentarily stopped shooting to process it in her mind.

"Wow...I...guys, I-I think I just realized something."

 _"What?"_ asked all three hostages simultaneously in frightened voices.

Alexia paused for a few moments before she could articulate the thought to her captive audience.

"...I-I just...I never realized how much easier it was to act all psychotic and unfeeling...when I'm wearing a mask! My God, I..."

Alexia started to laugh, while the hostages looked at each other with nervous eyes.

"...H-has it really been that simple this whole time? Wow, I...I-I never would've thought such a rudimentary thing would be-"

"WE GOT THE BOX, LET'S GO GO GO GO GO GO!"

Noël rushed past Alexia carrying the valuable security box in her tiny hands. The bank's alarms went off, and Alexia stood for a moment, looking with her usual air of awkwardness over her frightened hostages.

"...Thank you for your time."

She rushed out of the door, accompanied by the sound of police sirens fast approaching. She slid across the hood of the Kuruma, rushing into the car where Noël was sitting already.

"C'MON, C'MON, DRIVE!" she screamed at Alexia fearfully.

She stomped on the gas, heading north on the Great Ocean Highway with an entire squadron of patrol cars following her, their red and blue lights flashing menacingly. Noël pulled out her Tec-9 and fired at some of the police cars, prompting several cops to fire back at the bulletproof heist car.

"Oh shit! SHIT, there's so many of them!" shouted Noël.

"Yeah, huh? Robbing a bank will tend to do that, I'm afraid."

"Man there's no way we're gonna be able to - ROADBLOOOOOOCK!"

Alexia saw the obstacle, a host of squad cars and armored vans taking up the entire roadway, intent on stopping the criminals at any cost. Alexia, however, swerved into a nearby divot that led to the right of a guardrail, which allowed her to successfully bypass the police roadblock.

Bullets continued to pelt against the Kuruma, and the police cars from earlier followed Alexia's route through the divot and were catching up fast.

"I am NOT going back to the mental asylum! I-it smells like old cheese in there, man! A-and the lunch lady has a bunch of warts that she's always-"

"Chill out, alright?!" shouted Alexia. "I got this!"

Looking up ahead, however, she caught sight of yet another police roadblock, which utilized vehicles spread along a narrow bridge along the highway, making it nigh impossible for her to maneuver her way around. The only way through, she realized, was to plow her way through the vehicles on the road.

A terrified Noël soon realized this; she braced herself for the impact as Alexia accelerated, aiming for one of the smaller cars in the roadblock.

The Kuruma rammed a patrol car's front end head-on, completely caving in its left fender and spraying shrapnel all over the local police standing nearby. One unlucky officer standing near the car was thrown violently by the impact before his motionless body came to rest several yards down the highway.

"SHIIIITT!" screamed a hysterical Noël.

"Well, that's one cop-killing under my belt, I suppose."

"I dunno, he might could still be ali-"

No sooner had Noël said this than a giant 18-wheeler came barreling down the highway, the driver having been frightened by gunshots and driving maniacally as a result, running over the police officer in the road.

Noël stared blankly, pondering how such a well-timed event could have transpired.

"Huh...Okay, I guess you're a cop killer now, gothy. Welcome to the club."

Alexia sighed.

"Thanks, Noël."

Suddenly, the two girls heard a radio transmission through their earpieces, the result of their frequencies changing.

 _"Come in! Come in, do you read me?"_

"Ohh, FUCK, COPS ARE IN OUR RADIO NOW!" screamed Noël, again on the verge of tears.

 _"No, no, this is Eddie Toh, I'm a friend of Lester's. He tells me you're on your way."_

"Y-yeah, yeah," responded Alexia. "Where are you though?"

 _"Just keep heading for the Zancudo Bridge, and I promise I'll get you two outta this."_

Alexia was about to ask Eddie how exactly he planned to do this, but before she could do so, she passed a curve in the road, revealing the massive concrete bridge that stretched over Zancudo Bay and led to a subterranean tunnel underneath the nearby military base.

Hovering over the hundreds of vehicles that passed over the bridge was none other than a gigantic helicopter, a tandem-rotor Cargobob painted in inconspicuous army camouflage. Underneath the Cargobob hung a metal plate by a cord, which the two stupefied girls soon deduced as a magnet, which would be used to secure the metal-plated Kuruma and lift it into the sky.

"Wow..." whispered Alexia in awe. "...Lester _really_ went all out with this, didn't he?"

 **"FOR GOD'S SAKES, JUST PUSH THE FUCKING PEDAL, MAN!"**

An incredibly-impatient Noël reached her leg over and mashed on the gas, bringing the car closer to the steadily-advancing Cargobob and further away from the angry red and blue lights in pursuit of them. Eddie was sure to keep his maneuvering gentle so as not to cause the magnet to swing wildly, which would make it incredibly difficult for the car to get underneath.

 _"Alright, we might just be able to do this. Just get underneath and I'll attach the car."_

Seeing what they were about to do, the police cars picked up speed, trying to ram the Kuruma off the road before it could reach the dangling magnet. However, the police cruisers' pull-bars were no match for the Kuruma's superior iron plating, and many cops ended up spinning out themselves, crashing into the bridge's concrete barriers.

However, the tunnel was fast approaching, and a few meters remained between the Kuruma and the magnet's field of range. With a grunt of effort, Alexia pushed the car to its absolute limits, mashing the gas to the floor until she was directly underneath Eddie's Cargobob.

The two girls felt a massive electric force, causing their hair to stand on end, followed by the terrifying sensation of the car being lifted off the ground. The Kuruma's roof attached to the magnet seamlessly, allowing the Cargobob to take off and carry the car off the cop-filled bridge.

The two girls saw patrol cars screech to a halt; several officers desperately fired their weapons at the Kuruma, but their efforts were in vain; soon, they could only watch in amazement as the Cargobob and the car disappeared over the horizon.

Seeing as the cops had given up, both girls realized that they had indeed pulled off the heist; both breathed heavy sighs of relief, smiling widely.

"Oh man, we...We did it!" said Alexia, laughing.

"WE ACTUALLY FUCKING DID IT!"

"HELL YEAH!"

Both girls laughed gleefully, whooping and hollering at the massive victory. The two former rivals then reached over and hugged tightly, patting each other on the back like lifelong friends.

 _"Whew! Great job, you two,"_ added Eddie, sounding equally relieved himself. _"Once we're somewhere discreet, I'm gonna drop the car, and you two'll have to torch it before you go back to Lester. Don't wanna be leaving evidence behind, y'know?"_

"Y-yeah, yeah we got it, Eddie," said Alexia. "Hey, thanks for your help."

 _"Ah, it's nothin', guys. I'm happy to help you two since...well, you're kinda new to this, right? So, I consider it my honor to welcome you to the Big Leagues of Criminality."_

Alexia and Noël looked at each other yet again, smiling with great pride and hugging once again.

"Wow, the Big Leagues..." whispered Noël. "...To be honest, when Lester told me that, I didn't really expect it to be this big."

"Yeah, me neither. I thought he'd be, like, having us infiltrate a Merryweather base or steal an aircraft or something. But this? I...I could get into this."

"And with the amount of money we'll be getting, I-I think I'll want to do this again as well."

"Well, maybe we'll get to, Noël...Because, shit, you did pretty good back there!"

"Ehh...could've gone better..." Noël trailed off, her countenance quickly shifting from celebratory and buoyant to reflective and downcast.

"Hey, no job's gonna be without mistakes, alright?...But you handled them like a true pro, you did your job successfully, and we got out clean. Hell, you remembered to get the specific safety-deposit box."

Noël looked down at the metal box in her lap, with the numbers '167' shining on its surface above a massive, shrapnel-filled hole where the drill had punctured.

Then, she looked back at Alexia, who she could not believe had just complimented her after she had done nothing but insult and berate for as long as they had known each other.

"You...you really think I did good?"

"Absolutely. In fact, I'd like to consider you for any future jobs I have coming up, if that's okay."

Noël shut her eyes tightly, as she was suddenly experiencing an emotion that she had not felt in a very long time: aiming to conceal this emotion from her partner, she turned her head away, but Alexia nonetheless held Noël tightly as the emotions coursed through her tiny, hate-filled body and replaced it with a much larger degree of something that felt so warm and soothing that she soon began to laugh, even as her eyes became moist.

"...Yeah, I...I'd love that...Thank you, goth g-...er, Alexia."

"No problem, Noël."

The two embraced warmly as the Kuruma was carried high over the Pacific and back toward the Los Santos city limits.

* * *

Alexia pulled up to the garment factory in her usual red Oracle; Eddie had dropped the car in a derelict industrial area, where the two girls quickly destroyed it with a couple of grenades. While the Kuruma's protection against bullets was impressive, its resistance to explosions was indeed minimal, causing it to go up in a gigantic fireball that shattered the windows of a nearby abandoned factory, forcing Noël and Alexia to flee the scene quickly.

Lester adamantly met them at the front entrance, where Alexia presented him with the hard-won fruit of their labors.

"Ohh..." he uttered in pleasure upon seeing the box. "Excellent work, you two. Now, let's just see what we got here..."

Suddenly, Lester produced a tiny key from his pocket, which he inserted into the lock and successfully opened the security box. Alexia and Noël looked at the short, balding man, confused as he began to laugh in an almost-maniacal manner.

"At long last..."

He chuckled darkly before putting on latex gloves to prevent damaging the loot with fingerprints. He then extracted it from its protective box. To the girls' shock, however, what was inside the box was not money, but rather a stack of comic books, encased in plastic dust jackets.

"Captain SpaceToy issues 1 through 10, still in their original 1947 packaging. Oh, to be able to finally hold you in my hands is just..."

Lester stopped when he noticed the two girls, who both appeared outraged and incredibly angry.

"Are you fucking KIDDING ME!" shouted Alexia.

"WE SERIOUSLY JUST RISKED OUR LIVES TO STEAL COMIC BOOKS?!"

"For your information, these aren't just any comic books!"

Lester quickly grew irritated, placing the comics back in their protective box and closing the lid.

"Lester, what the hell?!" yelled Alexia. "I thought we were stealing a box full of illicit funds, not a bunch of dusty old fucking comics!"

"You tricked us!" added Noël, clenching her tiny fists angrily.

"I did NOT trick you! My God, do you even know how much these comics are...?!"

Lester groaned at the girls' perceived ignorance as they stared him down furiously.

"This collection of vintage comics was hoarded by a business collective. A group who wanted to let these treasures sit there and collect dust while they raked in hefty interest payments, when they deserve to be in the hands of the public! Do you two have any idea whatsoever how incredibly rare these comics are? Once I put them up for auction, practically the entire dark net is gonna be a fucking madhouse! So, if you two are done undervaluing these irreplaceable pieces of American treasure, I'll wire each of you your cuts after the exchange is closed!"

With a huff, Lester took the box in his chubby arms and withdrew into the garment factory, slamming the door angrily behind him.

The two girls stared blankly, the air being so incredibly silent that they could hear Lester through the door, cursing about 'imbeciles' as he climbed the front steps. Their outrage had since turned to shock, but eventually it dawned on them that Lester knew the market very well, and he could easily get a good price for the rare vintage comics, promising substantial cuts for them both.

Alexia turned to Noël, who stared at the ground in a detached manner.

"...So, uh...you wanna, like, hang out?"

She looked at Alexia, utterly confused.

"...Hang out?"

"Yeah, why not? I got nothing else to do today, so I thought we might celebrate our victory."

"And just where are you and me possibly going to hang out?" she asked with an air of scrutiny.

"Uhh, don't worry, I know a place. It's not far."

"Okay...where?"

* * *

Noël soon got her answer in the form of ear-splitting guitar riffs and pounding drums, played through a tiny, hole-in-the-wall vintage bar in northern Vinewood called 'Tequi-la-la'. The two sat at a bar near the front of the restaurant, Noël cupping her hands over her ears to block out the blaring rock music.

"A punk rock bar? Are you serious?!"

"Hey, this isn't just any punk rock bar. This is where Love Fist themselves got their start!"

"Who fucking cares?! Their music's making my ears bleed!"

"Well, I like it," said Alexia, smiling slyly and forming her hand into a 'sign of the devil'. "I grew up listening to them. But besides the obvious historical significance, they do have a really awesome lunch special here."

"Your Caesar salad, ma'am."

A waitress dressed in alternative garb slid Alexia a plate stacked with lettuce, croutons, and shredded cheese, as well as a healthy serving of grilled chicken.

"Awesome, thanks so much!" she said before gleefully taking a bite of the delicious salad.

"And here's your 10-piece chicken fingers, sweetie."

Noël smiled as her food was layed out before her, ten of the chicken tendies she loved so much with a serving of honey mustard on the side.

The waitress left, leaving Alexia and Noël to enjoy their lunch.

"...Well, I suppose I should thank you for paying for my food," said Noël with her mouth full.

"Don't mention it, Noël."

"I-I mean, I just don't get it is all."

"Get what?"

"How you're so...kind to me, even after all the horrible crap I've done to you. I-it's just..."

"Noël, don't worry about it," said Alexia with a short laugh. "The way I see it, you and me are cool now. No hard feelings on my side."

"No hard feelings on my side either. Because...y'know, I never thought I'd find myself saying this, but...you're alright, goth gir - I mean...Alexia."

"Thanks, Noël," she said with a smile. "You're alright too."

"So..." Noël started, biting into another chicken finger. "You were serious about you...considering me for jobs later?"

"Yeah. As soon as the opportunity comes up, I'll definitely be thinking of you. Because, despite our obvious differences, we are quite efficient as a team."

"I agree," said the little girl, nodding her head slowly. "I mean, we did manage, kept our heads."

"Didn't get our heads blown off, is the important part."

Noël laughed.

"Very true..."

Noël straightened herself in her seat, grabbing hold of her child-sized fountain drink.

"...So, considering that, care to toast on the matter?"

"Certainly," she answered, grabbing her own drink.

"Alright...To new beginnings."

"New friendships."

"Well, I..."

Noël hesitated for a moment, not expecting Alexia to propose that they become friends. She had pictured on them being simply business partners because of their differing personalities, but the concept of friendship to a girl like her was quite alien, especially with a girl such as Alexia.

"...Alright, Alexia...To new friendships as well."

"Cheers."

The two clinked glasses merrily before consuming a large gulp of their sodas.

No sooner had she downed her drink when her phone started to ring. She answered, despite the number being unfamiliar.

"Hello?"

 _"Lexi!"_

"OH MAN, JESS!"

Alexia was instantly shocked to hear her best friend's voice, which she had not been able to hear in what seemed like an eternity. Finally hearing Jess's angelic voice nonetheless sent a jolt of joy through Alexia's body.

 _"Hey, girl,"_ said Jess, who sounded just as happy to talk with her friend. _"Just wanted to let you know that I'm getting released tomorrow! So I need you to be there tomorrow morning to pick me up, okay?"_

"Y-yeah, sure thing. I'll be there...Glad to hear from you, Jess, how you feeling?"

 _"A lot better than I was, that's for sure,"_ she remembered with a laugh. _"But now, I-I feel pretty good. Liberated, if you will...Like, a week ago, I would've fucking murdered someone for a hit of crack, but now, I could care less about that shit. It's fucking awesome!"_

"Good to hear, man. Like I said, I knew you could do it."

 _"Well, I certainly couldn't have done it without the support of my loyal best buddy."_

Alexia blushed, immensely proud of herself and for Jess, for overcoming the great evils of her addiction and keeping their friendship intact.

 _"Oh shit, I-I got a group meditation class I gotta get to. I'll see you soon, Lexi."_

"Bye, Jess."

She hung up with a bright smile, after having confirmation that Jess was alright after not seeing her for so long.

Eventually, she noticed Noël staring curiously, wordlessly hounding for an explanation for Alexia's display of happiness.

"Oh, uh, sorry Noël. That was Jess, my best friend, who I hadn't heard from in a while."

" _Best_ friend?" she asked suspiciously. "...Sounded more like a girlfriend to me."

"Girlfriend?"

"Yeah. You seemed pretty happy to be talking to her. Your eyes kinda lit up, and I've honestly never seen you so happy about something before. That seems like a little more than 'best friend' conduct."

"Hey, I was just glad to be able to talk with her...C'mon, the notion of me having feelings for her is just absurd. I have a boyfriend, you know."

"Just sayin', Alexia. You seemed very...familial with each other."

"We're just good friends, alright? I mean, Jess will sometimes say things and crack crude jokes around me, but I'm pretty sure she's just joking around."

"Ohh, so now I get it," said Noël, smiling deviously. "An extroverted, joke-cracking socialite, and a sullen dark-haired introvert. Like a match made in Heaven."

Alexia groaned. "I swear, if this is about my hairstyle..."

"It's not. Not entirely. I'm just saying you seem very close for best friends. If you really don't have feelings for her, then so be it. But...that doesn't necessarily rule out her having feelings for you."

"Wha...?" stuttered a red-faced and shocked Alexia. "...A-are you-"

"I heard that girl's voice over the phone. You'd left your speaker phone on. And she sounded so purely elated just to hear the sound of your voice. You say you haven't seen each other in a while, but that voice didn't sound like someone reunited with their best friend...It sounded like someone that's been torturously separated from...their soulmate."

"Oh, cut it out, Noël!" shouted Alexia, angry with the girl once again. "That's gotta be the most ridiculous thing I've heard all day! Jess is definitely not in love with me! And if she was, I think she would defiitely have made a move or something by now."

"I mean, I could very well be wrong. I haven't even met this girl, or even seen you two together."

Noël laughed, taking a swig of her soda.

"Besides, what do I know anyway? I'm just an antisocial 8-year-old girl with a violent temper and no one who loves me."

"...That's not entirely true either."

Noël set her glass down in an annoyed manner.

"Lemme guess...You're gonna say you love me?"

"Well...yeah. In a way, I do love you, Noël."

"What a load of crap! We've known each other for a period of days, and most of it was spent hurling insults at each other! How could you possibly say that you love me?"

Alexia paused, taking a small sip of her drink, while Noël tapped her foot impatiently.

"Well...When I first met you, I saw you as a spoiled fucking brat with little to no decency and an extremely narrow worldview centered around herself. You insulted me constantly, which made me angry...Angry enough that that surface impression was all that I perceived you as as a person...That is, until I actually took the time to listen to you talk. And I realized...no matter how much of a foul-mouthed, egotistical little sociopath you are...on the inside, we're virtually the same. Petty criminals, just trying to make a buck in this city. We both have pretty hot tempers, which I guess is what led to so many conflicts at first. All that did, though, was to expedite the reveal of the human girl that lay behind that fiery wall of anger and hate. Hearing you talk, Noël, I still don't get some of your thoughts and ideas...But, the more I got to know you...the more I understood _why_ you think like you do. And y'know what, I can appreciate someone who thinks a little differently than I do. I also, in getting to know you, saw that you were capable of such human feelings as compassion and sympathy, even though you don't like to show them. And I'm guessing those feelings only come about for a small, preselected number of people, right?"

Noël remained wordless, bowing her head so that Alexia could not see her face as she continued.

"Don't worry, you don't have to say it," she said with a smile. "Just know that...I love you too, Noël."

Noël's shoulders shook; Alexia reached out a hand to comfort her.

"Man, what?...What is this gay shit anyway? Get the fuck..."

She swatted Alexia's hand away, making her way off the barstool while attempting to cover her face with her pigtails.

"Just eat the rest of my chicken tendies, okay? I'm going."

"Going where?"

"To someplace I can get away from this fucking corny-ass Mickey Mouse shit! I swear, it's like watching one of those educational family movies or something..."

Alexia summoned the waitress, who brought Alexia the check for her food. She paid for the unfinished plates, then ventured out into Tequi-la-la's lobby, brushing past a mix of bearded hipsters and aging punk rock fans to reach the exit.

Noël was sitting in her car, which her mechanic had delivered to a nearby parking lot. Looking over the vehicle, Alexia immediately recognized it as the Cheval Fugitive that Noël had driven in the street race, the car she had used to ram Lamar and herself off the road. She had obviously had it upgraded with a new pink paint job and turbo boosters on the back, along with a carbon spoiler on the back.

The little girl looked up from her smartphone momentarily, and the two maintained eye contact. Noël knew just as well that this was the car she had used in the street race, yet had not thought about this before calling it in. Now that it was here, though, the girl could not help but feel awkward and somewhat remorseful.

Whatever feelings were broiling inside her, however, she managed to push aside: instead, she started the engine before raising her middle finger in Alexia's direction, making sure that Alexia saw her vulgar gesture.

Alexia followed suit, flipping off Noël in the same manner. She did so with a friendly smile, one which managed to make Noël smile as well before she forced herself to frown once again.

With a resounding screech of rubber against burning concrete, Noël took off down the road, maneuvering erratically through the Los Santos lunch rush.


	23. Earn Your Wings

Gentle sunlight filtered in through the enormous bay windows lining the walls, giving the hallways of Parsons a tranquility rivaled only by that of its lush gardens and bubbling water fountains. Among this peaceful setting, addicts were given all necessary resources to help in the uphill battle against their vices. This included both physical and mental therapy as well as the teaching of coping mechanisms. Meditation was one frequently preached by the staff. Combined with the tranquil environment around them, addicts who passed through Parsons were overwhelmed with calm, which helped most to at least partially overcome torturous withdrawal symptoms.

Down this hallway, a woman passed, bouncing with every step knowing that she had beaten her greatest demon. Along the way, the girl known for the past week as 'Reena Jacobs' had experienced an inner peace like she had never felt before. She had made several new friends in support groups and gotten to know herself extremely well through therapy. However great her stay was, though, she was elated to be able to leave its grounds more free than she had ever felt in her roughly two decades of life.

As she traversed the halls with her belongings in a bulky purse, several acquaintances she had made made sure to wave good-bye, knowing that she had been released.

"Bye, Carlos," she called. "I hope your wife gets better."

"Thanks, Reena. I'll see you soon."

She passed another doorway, where a skinny, disheveled man was waiting with a smile.

"Bye, Reena."

"See ya', Jacob. It was fun meditating with you."

"Hell, you and me? We probably gained more chi than any of the other groups."

"Fuck yeah, man! Gimme some!"

The two fist-bumped joyously before embracing.

"Don't worry, man," she said. "I'm sure your kids are gonna be very proud of you after you get out."

"God, I sure hope so...Thanks, Reena."

A few more of these good friends wished her well as she exited. An attendant offered to help with her bag, but she politely declined, instead walking out into the Los Santos heat on her own.

The sky was abundantly clear, spilling plentiful sunshine onto the lush green landscape. Jessamine made her way over to the front lot, where Alexia would soon arrive to pick her up.

She felt of her hair once again, now a pile of short curls on top of her head in lieu of the long, flowing golden locks she normally had. The brown hair dye she had applied had since started to fade, revealing tiny follicles of gold within a sea of drab brown curls.

Jessamine sighed before taking a seat on the curb to wait for her friend. She was highly anxious to see Alexia again, but simultaneously, anouther thought gnawed at her conscience, causing the normally worry-free Jessamine a good deal of nervousness.

She worried about having to re-enter the violent, bloodthirsty crew she was a part of, after having spent an entire week among such peaceful surroundings. She worried most of all that she might end up right back where she started, in the sinister embrace of addiction, as soon as she returned to busting drug deals and stealing shipments of crack.

While at the moment she felt absolutely no desire to obtain her beloved drugs, she worried that being exposed to large shipments on a regular basis could reignite the animal inside her that had been tamed by her tranquil retreat from Skull activity.

The peaceful ambience of Parsons was soon interrupted, however, by the distant roaring of a powerful motor engine, which Jessamine deduced as speeding down the road and cruising to a stop beside the center's main gates.

The mechanical gates swung open after a moment, allowing the black-clad motorcyclist to enter the property, mounted atop a black Hakuchou bike with swirling stripes of blood red paint on its sides. The rider revved the bike's thunderous engine, performing a brief wheelie before screeching to a halt right beside where Jess was sitting.

She looked up at the rider, whose face was completely covered by a carbon mirrored helmet, stricken with awe by the utter display of coolness by this individual.

"...Who are you, stranger?" she asked in a small voice.

The motorcyclist removed her helmet in response, revealing the face that she had missed so dearly while in rehab.

"Oh, Alexia!" she said with a laugh. "Sorry, didn't know it was you."

Alexia flashed a grin, and Jess did the same.

"...Welcome back, old friend."

Jess promptly stood up, then bounced gleefully over to Alexia's position before embracing her in a warm, constricting bear hug.

"Ohh, it's good to be back, Lexi. I...I just missed you so much!"

Alexia smiled, patting her friend on the back.

"I missed you too, Jess...So, how was it? Are you feeling okay?"

"Oh, I'm better than okay, Lexi, I'm clean! Shit, with all the meditation I've been doing and the guidance of a therapist, I've actually discovered a lot about myself, what was feeding my addictive tendencies. Turns out, a lot of it had to do with resentment towards my parents and the...notion that by doing this stuff, I was like...getting back at them in some way. But that doesn't even matter now, because I'm high on air, my friend! I feel like I could take on the fucking world!"

"Well, now that you're back, I think we'll get to, man."

"Fuck, dude, with you, me, and that cool-ass motorcycle of yours? Practically anything is possible."

"Yeah, this is pretty cool," she remarked, patting the bike's handlebars affectionately. "I got it from Simeon, he gave me a 'special discount' for it."

"Ick, you're still working for that guy?" asked Jess with a hint of disgust.

"Well, I did try to quit, but...I dunno, I just felt so guilty afterwards. I mean, sure he's a crook and his jobs don't pay that well, but...he is kinda the one who sponsored my entry into the life."

"Ehh, I suppose that's understandable...Of course, I'll still help you out with Simeon's jobs, girl. Whenever you need."

"Thanks, Jess," she said with a smile. "So, uh, now that you're a free woman, you wanna go for a ride?"

 _"Hell yeah, man!"_ replied Jess in a high-pitched accent.

Jess climbed onto the back, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl's waist. Alexia put her opaque helmet back on before revving up the bike's engine.

"Hey, Lexi..." started Jess, who sounded as if she was eager to tell her friend something.

"Yeah, Jess?"

"Well, if it's not too much trouble...would you mind taking me somewhere?"

"Sure," she replied with a shrug. "Where to?"

"The airport, Lexi," replied Jess, grinning mischievously.

"Okay...? Why?"

"Because I wanna do some flying, of course! Thought we could take my plane and go on a little aerial tour of the state, to celebrate my release."

"Ohh, okay," Alexia smiled. "Well, I'm up to do some flying."

"I knew you would be."

Jess started to snicker deviously, even though Alexia did not understand why she was doing so.

Lightly pressing the gas, the bike accelerated down Parsons' driveway, leaving behind the peaceful scenery in favor of the deafening engine and high-octane power.

"Y'know, Lexi, there are still things I'm learning about you," said Jess with a laugh. "Like, I had no idea you knew how to drive a motorcycle!"

"Yeah, uh, I'm...figuring it out."

With an air of uncertainty behind her words, she hesitated a bit before mashing down onto the accelerator.

The bike immediately tipped backwards. Both girls were tossed off while the bike continued in a manic riderless wheelie, eventually stopping when it crashed into a cliff face.

An unhurt Alexia looked over at Jess, who was holding her unprotected head and groaning in pain.

"Jess!" she shouted, immediately going over to help your friend. "Oh my God, Jess, I-I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

"Yeah...yeah, I'm good..." said Jess before putting a hand to her temple, seething from the pain.

"Jess, if I'd have known, I-"

"It's cool, Lexi. Really, I-I've suffered more than one blow to the head."

She sat up to clear the stars from her vision, then was helped to her feet by Alexia, who remained incredibly apologetic.

"...But, um, just remember that I'm a bit heavier than you. So you might wanna give it a little less power. And, uh, to shift your weight forward a bit so it balances out."

"Okay, got it...Jess, really, I'm-"

"It's fine, Lexi. I...I'm just glad to finally be able to hang with my homegirl again. I'm sure the two of us are gonna have some fun up in the air."

Before Alexia could respond, Jess enveloped her in another crushing warm hug, holding her smaller friend steadfast to her torso.

With her head pressed firmly against her friend's chest, she was eventually made to relax in the throes of Jess's death grip. She hugged her friend with what little strength she possessed, feeling her friend's love through her tender embrace.

They parted when they noticed someone coming out of the facility for a smoke break. Not wanting others to see them in such a passionate state, they made their way over to Alexia's bike, which had flipped over on its side. With Jess's help, Alexia righted the bike's position, noting that the only damage it had incurred were a few minor paint scratches.

Once Jess was situated on the bike, Alexia shifted her weight forward, pressing more gently on the accelerator. While this prevented the bike from achieving higher speeds, Alexia was nonetheless able to integrate into the traffic and enjoy a leisurely motorcycle ride with the woman she called her best friend.

The wind whipped through Jess's short curls, a feeling which the newly-freed girl enjoyed greatly.

"WOO-HOO!" she exclaimed, raising a fist in the air. "Look at me now, bitches! Fucking look at me now! I am a free woman, ready to fuck shit up with my best pal right here!"

Alexia laughed nervously.

"Okay, Jess, settle down now."

"C'mon, Lexi, I'm just messin' around. No harm in that, right?"

"N-no, no, there's no harm in that. It's just-"

"Yelling obscenities at strangers is one of my favorite pastimes. Most people are so self-absorbed that they don't even care about it. Like...like, check this out."

Alexia merged into a passing lane, where she swerved around a car that had been driving particularly slow.

"You drive like old people fuck, amigo!" yelled Jess to the car's driver. "I should know!"

The driver briefly looked at Jess, who made a silly face as Alexia sped off.

Both girls burst into laughing hysterics after they passed the car.

"Okay, I'll admit, th-that was pretty fun."

"You should try it sometime, Lexi...Speaking of fun though, what were you up to while your fun-loving pal was in rehab?"

"Oh, uh...it was quite an eventful week for me. That's for sure."

"So, tell me all about it."

"Well, I...touched base with Elena, did a job with her."

"Whoa whoa, hold up..." stated Jess, astonished. "...You're telling me that you not only spoke to Elena, but even managed to convince her to help you on a job?"

"Why, yes I did," Alexia affirmed proudly. "In fact, she could even be a future ally for us down the road."

"Aww, Lexi!" squealed Jess, embracing Alexia around her waist. "That's one of the things we were working on! You told me before that you couldn't even speak to her without stuttering shyly!"

"I-I don't know what it was, she just exacerbated my anxiety so much when I was around her. But now, knowing that she likes me..."

"I could see us working together," remarked Jess with a smile. "You, me, and Elena, the Unholy fucking Trinity! Tearing shit up all across the state."

"Yeah, well we'll see what she thinks about formiung that whole, uh, trinity. But, uh...well, there was someone else I met that we might could include."

"Oh, really?" asked Jess attentively. "Who?"

"Well, uh...did you hear about the robbery at that Fleeca bank franchise?"

 _"HOLY SHIT, THAT WAS YOU?!"_

"Shit, not so loud, Jess," said Alexia with a laugh. "But, uh...yeah, let's say it was me."

"Alright. So, uh, tell me: where'd you meet that dwarf girl at?"

"Uhh...a dwarf?"

"Yeah, I saw it on the news: witnesses reported seeing a dwarf - er, 'person of reduced stature' - run into the vault and drill through the wall while her more average-sized accomplice controlled the crowd. From what I heard though, you did a pretty good job of that. Those hostages looked real petrified."

Alexia inexplicably began to laugh, much to the confusion of Jess.

"Uhh..." she said, adding laughter of her own. "...What's so funny, Lex?"

"Nothing, i-it's just...that wasn't a dwarf that was with me. It was a little grade-school aged girl I met. She can't be more than 8 or 9 years old."

"Lexi!" exclaimed Jess, who feigned being shocked. "You're recruiting child soldiers now?"

"No, no not quite. She, uh, enlisted in my service voluntarily."

"Oh my God...A little miniature-sized criminal?! That's...that's just so..."

Jess could barely contain herself at this point. She squealed with joy upon hearing this bit of news from Alexia.

"...That's just about the cutest thing I could ever imagine! I so have to meet her!"

"Trust me, you wouldn't find her so cute if you met her in person."

"I kinda doubt that, Lexi; what's she look like?"

"Uhh, blonde hair, freckles, little yellow braces on her teeth-"

"Yep. Cute as a button, called it."

"...But she can also be kinda...aggressive at times. Especially to those who don't take her seriously."

"Ohh, don't worry, I'll be sure to take her seriously...as a force of cuteness to be reckoned with."

Alexia sighed, knowing that she could not divert Jess's mind from Noël's inherent cute qualities.

"Alright, just...Please be careful with her, Jess. I did manage to forge some friendly relations with her, but she's still got one hell of a mean streak for a girl her age."

"Aw, shucks, don't worry 'bout me, Lexi," she said with a dismissive wave of the hand.

"I really can't help but worry about you, Jess, since you're my best friend and all...You're sure you're feeling well enough to go flying?"

"Hell yeah, girl. The way I see it, I've been grounded for way too long. And I've also been separated from my bestest pal for too long. So I thought it'd be most efficient to combine those two deficits and deal with them simultaneously."

"Okay, that's uh...one way of looking at it," remarked Alexia with a laugh.

"Yeah, trust me, we're gonna have fun. Just you see."

Jess leaned into her friend, resting her head affectionately on her shoulder as she cruised her motorcycle down the freeway.

It was at this moment that Alexia's mind wandered back to the previous day, when Noël had voiced her suspicions about Jess being in love with her. She thought back on all their past experiences together and some of Jess's more questionable comments, but she could find nothing definitive to confirm Noël's suspicions.

Even as Jess hugged her so warmly, her arms wrapped about her torso, Alexia still could not think of Jess as any more than a friend: but Jess was her cherished best friend nonetheless. More than anything, she was glad to have her faithful ally by her side once again, free of the terrible sickness that had overcome her form.

Alexia pulled into Los Santos International, a place she had not been since stepping off the plane on her first night in Los Santos. Instead of heading towards the terminals for commercial aircraft, Jess directed Alexia towards a security gate that led directly to the tarmac.

Jess flashed her pilot's license to the guard stationed there. With a bored nod and a press of a button, the iron barrier was lifted, and Alexia accelerated into the airport, taking a small service road that curved around the main runway.

Alexia witnessed massive jets touching down and taking off, producing ear-puncturing screeches as they swooped overhead. Hidden from plain view was a cargo jet, surrounded by heavy military vehicles and scowling armed men who watched as the boxes were loaded.

Both girls felt rather uneasy around this gathering of what they soon deduced to be Merryweather soldiers, contracted by the U.S. government to perform paramilitary work on American soil.

"Agh, damn mercenaries," grumbled Jess. "This used to be such a fun place to hang out and fly casually. Now, you even look at one of them the wrong way, and you could be iced just like that."

"Shit...I'll have to keep an eye out for those guys."

"Ah, I don't think they'll cause us much trouble. We're not really entangled in Merryweather's interests...not yet at least...Ooh, there's my hangar, over there!"

Alexia pulled off the service road, stopping beside an imposing metallic hangar at a far end of the airport. Inside housed a single plane, a red-striped Cuban 800 that Jess claimed as her own.

"Thanks, Lexi," Jess grinned. "Here's a little something for the gas."

Jess reached into her pocket and fetched a $20 bill, which she slapped into Alexia's palm. Before she could even modestly refuse to take the money, Jess had already disembarked from the motorcycle and was skipping merrily over to her hangar.

The two made their way towards Jess's plane, Alexia marvelling at how cavernous the hangar was from the inside.

"Wow...Jess, you own this whole hangar?"

"Well, I don't technically own it. Right now, I'm just renting it from someone, a fellow Skull. But he lets me keep my plane here. Along with any cars that might be too big or dangerous to keep in my garage."

"Alright. Uhh, I'm no expert, but it sure looks like a fine plane, Jess."

"I know, right?" said Jess as she hugged the plane's aluminum siding. "I, uh, got it at an aircraft auction back in the day. They were gonna scrap it for parts, but I saved it."

"You did?"

Alexia asked this seriously, but Jess laughed heartily in return.

"C'mon, Lexi, you know I stole it."

"Ahh," said Alexia with a timid laugh. "Okay, I probably should've guessed...Either way though, I'm sure you'll get us back in one piece."

"Oh...I'm not flying this thing."

Alexia questioned if she had heard her friend right, or if her speech was obscured by the incessant roarig of jumbo jets. Jess, however, smiled snarkily, as if she had picked up on Alexia's initial shock.

"You...wh-what do you mean, Jess?"

"Well, I'm still technically in withdrawal, Alexia. I get hella night sweats still, and my focus isn't the best right now. Who knows, I might have another vomiting episode at the controls. We wouldn't want that, would we?"

"You said you were feeling better! I-if you're not flying this thing, then who's...?"

Slowly, it dawned on her what exactly Jess meant. Her friend smiled deviously, but Alexia broke into a nervous sweat and began to tremble as she realized what was occurring.

"N-no..."

"Ohh, yeah."

"B-b-but Jess, I can't...!"

"C'mon, Lexi, you'll do fine! Just trust me."

She took the sleeve of her friend, who had become paralyzed with anxiety, and half-dragged her into the plane's cockpit.

Before she knew it, she was sitting in the pilot's seat, staring at a terrifying array of buttons and switches that she had no idea how to operate.

Jess sat next to her, looking relaxed and carefree as ever. She smiled reassuringly at Alexia, who sat trembling with anxiety.

"...Jess, I can barely drive a motorcycle, how am I supposed to-?"

"Look, it's easy, Lexi. If you're gonna do some of the more advanced jobs in the Skulls, you're gonna need to know how to fly. Luckily though, you've got the Air Captain herself here to help teach you."

Jess leaned forward, pointing to the control panel and pointing to some of the intimidating buttons and switches.

"This here is the throttle, which controls how fast the plane goes. You use that in conjunction with the flight stick to take off and land. Now, this one controls the ailerons, those little things on the backs of the wings, they basically help to stabilize it during a roll. These switches here control the rudders, which makes the plane turn more efficiently. And uh, this one right here is my personal favorite..."

Jess pressed one of the many buttons on the dash, which activated the plane's CD player. The sounds of 70's disco immediately flooded the cockpit, and Jess was more than eager to sway and headbang to the groove.

"Whoo! Good thing I left my 70's mixtape in here! Otherwise, this trip would have been much more boring!"

Alexia remained frozen in trepidation, her hands trembling as they gripped the flight stick. She looked at Jess, who continued to dance in her seat.

"...You've been planning this out from the start, haven't you?" said Alexia in a somewhat accusatory tone.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Lexi, of course I have!"

She finished up a dance move before turning off the radio and looking more seriously at her friend, who she could tell was growing somewhat angry that she had lied to her about the true nature of their 'aerial tour'.

"Look, Lexi...Just let me say that I'm sorry for tricking you. Really, I hate having to lie to my homegirl like that, but I knew it was the only way I could get you in here. I know you're nervous, I was nervous on my first flight too. But...well, I'm still your personal helper-outer, right? So, I'm still obligated to be teaching you things. And right now, with the reputation you're gaining...you're gonna need to have at least some basic flying skills."

"...But why teach me here? At a super-busy international airport? With lots of other planes and...people?"

"Ah, but that's just part one of my ingenious plan," proclaimed Jess. "Once I get you used to the hustle and bustle of the city airport, we'll fly north and land at Sandy Shores airfield. And if that goes well, we might even try a landing and take-off from McKenzie field, this little dirt runway up near Grapeseed."

"Ah, I see," replied Alexia cynically. "So that's your idea of an 'aerial tour'."

"No no no, we still get to do the tour. Totally. We can go anywhere you want, except over the military base 'cause we'll get shot down...No pressure though."

Alexia gulped nervously, thinking heavily about the scenario that Jess had put into her head.

"Look, I'm just kidding, Lexi," she laughed. "We got navigation systems onboard, so I'll be sure and steer you clear from Zancudo airspace. For now though, let's just focus on actually getting in the air."

Jess picked up her CB radio, tuning it to LSIA's air trafic control tower.

"10-21. This is Captain Jess of flight Zeta 904 Charlie, requesting permission to take off from Los Santos International. Over."

A garbled voice emitted through the radio, pronouncing words that Alexia could not understand because it mostly consisted of foreign airport jargon.

"Roger that," said Jess in an uncharacteristically-formal tone. "Intended landing at Sandy Shores airfield. Estimated T.O.A thirteen hundred hours. Single passenger aboard."

As Jess continued to converse with the control tower, Alexia again looked down at the hundreds of buttons and levers in front of her face. She began to severely question her friend's logic in teaching her how to fly an aircraft in one go in a plane she didn't even know how to operate.

In stark contrast to her friend's fearful thoughts, Jess appeared as confident and calm as ever as she was granted clearance to take off.

"Roger that. Hey, tell your wife happy birthday from me, Rick," she said with a smile. "Uh, 10-7. Over and out."

Jess hung up her radio, turning to face her friend.

"Alright, we've been cleared to take off. Go ahead and start up the engines, Lexi."

Alexia, looking as confused as ever, looked around for an engine switch, but was left with terrifying tunnel vision by the array of glowing buttons.

Jess kindly helped her friend, flipping a large switch that activated the plane's auxiliary turbines. With a light spurt of smoke, the rotors blasted to life, filling the cockpit with a dull rumbling that nonetheless frightened Alexia.

Her relaxed friend, meanwhile, gave another assuring smile to her anxiety-ridden partner.

"Ok, now just ease on the throttle, follow the yellow line onto the runway."

Alexia looked down at the gleaming stick in front of her, an ominous appendage of the control dash that controlled how fast the plane accelerated.

With Jess still smiling warmly in an attempt to calm her nerves, Alexia took a deep breath, easing the plane forward and out of the hangar.

With both hands on the stick, she guided the plane ever-so-slowly across the expanse of runway, then down a path that led to their designated spot to take off from. On the adjacent runway passed a humongous jumbo jet laden with passengers and crew, whose engines screeched with an incredible intensity outside of the cockpit.

Jess noticed how frightened Alexia was, and she was quick to wrap a supportive arm around her trembling shoulders.

"Okay, now once we get on this runway, push down hard on the throttle. Once we're fast enough to take off, I'll tell you what's next."

Once entering the take-off strip, an ominous stretch of asphalt that led north toward the city, Alexia took a deep breath before pushing down on the accelerator.

The plane shook violently as it picked up speed, as did Alexia's hands on the flight stick. Features of the runway whizzed past Alexia at the speed of sound, and the rumbling of the engines grew to a deafening level.

"...Jess, what do I-"

"Don't worry, you're doing great so far. Just gain a little more speed, then pull up _gently_ on the flight stick. The important thing is to maintain your speed as you take off so the engines don't stall in mid-air."

"Wow, what an encouraging thought, Jess..."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," she said with a laugh. "Just being real with you, girlfriend."

Alexia looked down at the plane's speedometer, which she noticed had passed into a red-marked field of speed. She soon saw the end of the runway, the imposing barrier of metal fences and concrete poles at the edge of the airport, signalling that she had to take off soon.

With a slight movement of the flight stick, Alexia no longer felt the movement of ground beneath her. Instead, she marveled as the plane began to rise, clearing the edge of the airport and sailing victoriously into the open sky.

"Congratulations, pilot," said Jess with a wink. "You are now airborne!"

Alexia laughed, dumbfounded that she had actually made it this far without bursting into a ball of flames.

"Wow...I...I really did it, didn't I?"

"Yep, you really did, homie. Be sure to retract your landing gear though. We'll need to gain enough height to clear those buildings and mountains up ahead."

"Right..."

Searching through the many buttons on the dash, she eventually came across a rather obvious feature resembling a set of wheels. With a press of this button, a mechanical whirring sounded under the plane, folding the landing gear underneath.

Alexia noticed that this made the plane much lighter. Brimming with confidence from her successful takeoff, she nudged the plane upwards, eventually surpassing the height of even the imposing Maze Bank tower, the tallest in Los Santos.

She glanced out of her window, taking in the magnificent view of Los Santos from thousands of feet in the air. Cars were little more than moving dots on the roads, buildings like mere stepping stones at this great height. Up ahead, the famous Vinewood sign was visible looming over it all, encompassed by an array of mountains that shielded Los Santos from the harsher arid desert to the north.

"Alright, looks like we're all set," proclaimed Jess, leaning back in her chair. "Soon as we're close to the airfield, I'll give you instructions on how to land this thing. Landing's a bit more technical than taking off, but I'm confident you can handle it...For now though, I did promise you a fun tour, right? So here, I got something to show you."

Jess reached under the control dash, withdrawing an attached speaker that was separate from her radio device.

After turning it on, she tapped the microphone a few times, producing quite an audible bit of feedback within the cockpit and, it seemed, outside of it as well.

"PEOPLE OF LOS SANTOS," Jess's voice rang throughout the air through blaring speakers. "TODAY'S TIP: ALWAYS WASH AFTER SEX TO PREVENT PENIS ROT. THANK YOU."

"What the hell?" Alexia perked up, thoroughly confused. "...Wait, what was that?!"

"Isn't it obvious? I installed loudspeakers on the plane. They're loud enough so that everyone in a two-mile radius just heard me."

"Just...why, Jess?" sighed Alexia.

"It's all in good fun, Lexi. Here, why don't you give it a try?"

"Uhh, no thanks, I've gotta control the plane."

"C'mon, Lexi, no one will know it's you. You'll be like...like God, a huge disembodied voice coming from the air. Doesn't that sound fucking epic?"

"No, not really," said Alexia, shaking her head. "Playing God's never really been my style."

"Okay, you'll just be an awesomely mysterious voice in the clouds then. Here, I'll even hold the speaker up for you."

Jess placed the speaker in front of her timid friend's mouth so that she had both hands free to control the plane. She tried to nudge away from the microphone, but Jess persisted, holding it persistently to her lips.

"Just say whatever's on your mind. If you got something you wanna get off your chest, I find this is a great way to, like, anonymously blow off steam."

"Jess I don't-"

 _"BE THE VOICE, ALEXIA,"_ she rumbled in an overly-dramatic accent.

Seeing as Jess was not going to relent until she said something, Alexia clenched her eyes shut before taking in a gigantic breath.

Then, she leaned into the microphone, much to the delight of Jess, and with a deadpan expression proclaimed her message to the world.

"...FOR THE RECORD, JESSAMINE SLEEPS WITH GIRLS...THAT IS ALL."

Jess gasped.

"I most certainly do not! Lexi!"

Alexia hunched over laughing, while Jessamine remained shocked to the core by what her friend had said about her.

What Jess was not aware of, though, was Noël's remarks the previous day about Jess possibly being in love with her. Since she had brought up such a thing, Alexia had scrutinized their encounters and missions together, looking for any sign that Jess had exhibited any physical aspects of a repressed love for her friend. No matter how much she ran it over in her head, however, she could find no evidence pointing to or completely denying such a thing.

However, seeing Jess so resolutely deny sleeping with women convinced Alexia that her friend did not harbor feelings toward her, a scenario that would undoubtedly drive a stint in their compact friendship.

"Wow, I..." Jess joined in, adding to her friend's laughter. "I must admit, I was really not expecting that from you."

"I, uh, have my moments," said Alexia, wiping moisture from her eyes.

"Clearly. Now I have...no clue whatsoever how you came up with such a thing, but I do not sleep with girls. I-I mean, there was this one time when I was pretty high at a party and another chick might have somehow gotten-"

"Jess, don't worry. I-I knew you didn't...But, y'know what, even if you did, I'd...I'd still appreciate you all the same, girl."

"Awwh, Lexi..." Jess blushed. "That's about the most heartwarming thing I've ever heard at 15,000 feet in the air."

Again realizing that they were in an airplane that she was piloting, Alexia craned her head to peer out of her window, observing the luxurious houses of Vinewood Hills, including the world-famous sign, from such a good-like point of view.

Alexia found herself greatly calmed by the sight, especially as they surpassed the mountains, revealing a gargantuan basin of dry, sandy desert land. Further to the north, beneath the imposing cliffs of Mount Chiliad, was a massive inland lake, the Alamo Sea, a sterilizing, heavily-polluted saltwater lake that was formerly a popular tourist destination and Sandy Shores' claim to fame. Now, however, the town was nothing but an array of dust-covered roads and dilapidated trailers, with relics of its past buried under mounds of salt.

"Hmm, never was a fan of that place, Sandy Shores..." muttered Jess. "Mostly I just came out here to buy drugs, but otherwise it's just a complete dump."

Looking over the town, however, Alexia was obliquely reminded of her own home in South Yankton. The dirt roads and rustic homesteads presented a mirror image of the life she had lived before the high-profile career of killing she had chosen elevated her several social classes up from this barren wasteland.

Suddenly, the plane shook; the turbulence lasted only a moment or two, but nonetheless frightened the girl behind the flight stick.

"Wh-what was that?"

"What was what?"

"The plane shook just now. I-is everything okay?"

"Yeah girl, we're just running into headwinds from the water up ahead. Although I'm kinda surprised that that famous Alamo Sea stench hasn't reached us yet."

The aircraft shook again, much more violentlyand for a longer period of time, sending waves of panic down Alexia's nerves.

"Jess..."

"Girl, it's okay. Every pilot experiences a little 'Minor Turbulence'."

Jess winked at any GTA fans who may have gotten her reference.

"...Wait, why'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Y-you just looked away from me and winked, it was weird."

"I...have no idea what you're talking about."

"You totally did, I saw it!"

"Lexi, really. You're acting a little 'Crazy '69'."

She turned away and winked once again, which Alexia plainly saw her do.

"You just did it again!" she shouted. "Just now!"

"What?" said Jess, laughing heavily at her friend's reaction.

"Seriously, Jess! Wh...who are you even looking at?!" she asked, squinting her eyes and peering straight ahead.

"No one, Lexi, it's not important."

Jess laughed, pinching her friend's cheek.

"I swear, you're so cute sometimes when you're flustered."

With a violent clattering of metal, the plane pivoted wildly once again, nearly sending both girls onto the floor of the cockpit.

Looking down at the dash, Alexia immediately noticed a light blinking red, which immediately registered to her as urgent.

"Hey, Jess..."

By this point, Jess had also registered that this amount of turbulence was abnormal; she peered over her friend's shoulder and caught sight of the flashing warning light.

"...Huh. Never seen that light come on before."

The veteran pilot looked puzzled for a few moments, much to the chagrin of Alexia. In a search to find out what was wrong with the plane, she withdrew an old, tattered-looking manual for the plane's upkeep.

"Ah shit, it's always something with these old aircraft. Lemme see if there's-"

"Jess, I think we're losing altitude!"

"What?"

A heavily frightened Alexia pointed to the on-board altimeter, which Jess noticed was indeed steadily decreasing, even as Alexia made efforts to right the plane's position.

Then, a sound all too familiar to Jess presented itself; that of one of the main engines sputtering out and failing. Looking out of the side mirrors, Alexia was horrified to see that the plane's left engine was trailing a cloud of black smoke.

The plane began to pitch downward and lose altitude much more rapidly.

"Jess, I-I don't know what to do!" screamed Alexia.

"Here, let me see!"

She gratefully stood up from the pilot's seat so that her friend could take control. Jess tried to restore the plane's integrity in the air, utilizing every switch and control that she was aware of. She pulled a set of flaps on the wings to decrease the speed of their descent, but all other efforts to correct the plane's position were fruitless.

A frustrated Jess pulled with all her might on the flight stick, yet the plane continued in its downward descent into certain death.

"IT WON'T...DO...ANYTHING! WE'RE GOIN' DOWN!"

Exasperated, Jess got up and ran over to a nearby storage closet near the rear of the cockpit.

"Jess, what's happening?!" Alexia cried.

"Our left engine number one is blown, Lexi, the plane is done! You and me...we gotta bail out!"

Jess tossed her friend an incredibly-heavy sack, which she struggled to hold in her scrawny arms. She then realized, however, that this sack was indeed a parachute, a fact indicated by the multitude of strings and pockets on its surface and two shoulder straps on the back.

She looked anxiously at her friend, who put on her own parachute and prepared to jump.

"Jess, wait! I-I don't even know how to-!"

"Look, don't worry about that right now, alright? I can give you instructions once we're out of this flying deathtrap!"

Jess promptly flung open the side doors, letting in a rush of current and the horrible clunking racket the engine made as it failed.

Alexia could see the ground through pockets in the clouds, as well as the edge that she would have to jump off of with the parachute she didn't know how to use.

She felt Jess grab her hand firmly, all of her love for her scared friend manifesting itself through this embrace.

"...You wanna jump together?" she asked with a smile. "That might make it easier."

Alexia sighed, knowing that she would die if she did not jump from the plane with her friend.

"Sure, let's...let's do it."

After slipping on her parachute, she stood next to Jess in the doorway of the quickly descending airplane.

"...You ready, Lexi?"

"Shit, ready as I'll ever be."

"That's good enough in this situation...Alright, one..."

"Two..."

"THREE!" they both shouted, before jumping simultaneously.

A terrible feeling manifested in Alexia's gut as gravity took hold and the wind roared in her ears. It was the feeling of falling uncontrollably, a terrifying sensation often felt only in nightmares. Knowing that this was in fact real, Alexia screamed in horror, grasping at thin air and tumbling in the air as she fell at terminal velocity.

After a moment or so, however, she calmed down from the initial wave of fear. In fact, she even began to laugh slightly at the sensation and the wind tickling her cheeks as she fell. The epic scenery of the desert all around her only served to heighten the awesome experience for her.

"Hey, th-this is pretty cool, actually..." she said to herself, giggling gleefully. "Shit, I really should've done this earlier."

"LEXI!"

She looked over to see Jess, who fell only a few feet from where she was.

"Just pull this cord right here!" she screamed over the raging wind. "That'll deploy your chute!"

"OKAY!" yelled Alexia.

She reached for the spot Jess indicated, finding the specified cord on the parachute.

Alexia pulled the cord, then waited for the sensation of her parachute opening. However, no such feeling was present, as she continued to fall at an insane speed.

"...Jess, nothing's happening!"

"I-it's okay, it's okay, you got an emergency cord! Right here!"

Alexia pulled this cord, only for it to snap off entirely without deploying the reserve chute.

Jess looked blankly over at her friend, not expecting that to occur.

"...Huh. Okay, I probably should've checked these things before we took off."

 _ **"OH MY GOD, I'M GONNA DIE!"**_

Alexia grasped wildly at the air, as frightened as she was when first jumping from the plane now that she knew she was plunging to her death.

"No you're not!" yelled Jess. "Look, don't worry, alright? I'm coming!"

Jess swam through the air to reach her friend, who knew now that she was falling to her death. The ground seemed to approach even faster as her body hurtled through the cloud barrier, exposing the barren expanse that would serve as her early grave.

"Take off your chute, Lexi!" Jess shouted.

"WHAT?!"

"I'm gonna deploy my chute and carry you down in my arms! We'll be fine!"

"Jess, that's crazy, just go! There's no reason both of us have to die!"

"Not a chance! Look, you weigh like nothing! I can carry you down easy!"

"Jess, you have to-!"

"You trust me, right?!"

Jess looked seriously at her friend, affirming her resolution to keep her close, trusted friend safe no matter the cost to herself. As they both hurtled toward the Earth, Jess seemed to heavily question her friend with her eyes, putting their brief yet powerful friendship to a test of literal life and death. Alexia, of course, did not want to become entangled in her friend's chute and condemn her to death, while Jess did not wish to pull her parachute and leave her best friend to die.

Seeing Jess pleading so desperately with her eyes, Alexia broke under the weight of her friend's love, forced to look away for a moment.

"I...Of course I trust you, Jess!"

"Cool! So what's the problem then?"

Alexia looked downwards, catching a glimpse of the steadily-approaching ground. Deep in her mind, she knew thatJess would rather plunge to her death with her than leave her best friend to die, a selfless inclination she had expressed to her once before. Thus, she had little choice but to honor Jess's request, as crazy as it sounded.

"...Nothing," she sighed. "I...Let's just do this."

"Alright, that's the spirit!"

Jess grinned brightly as Alexia slipped off her parachute, watching as it tumbled wildly away from her.

Her friend approached her steadily and, with a swift movement and an iron grip, snatched her friend into her arms. Alexia's head rested in the crook of Jess's elbow, with her legs supported by her other arm and her back towards the ground.

"Okay, I got you!" she yelled excitedly. "Now, just hold on tight, girlfriend!"

Alexia complied, burying her head into her friend's chest and holding onto her neck.

In one fluid movement, Jess pulled the cord to deploy her bright neon-pink parachute from its bag. Alexia felt a terrifying jolt as their descent was slowed from its terminal velocity in a matter of seconds. No matter how jarring the impact, Jess maintained her grip on her friend to prevent her from falling.

After the initial shock, the two began a peaceful descent above the majestic Senora Desert, providing a perfect panoramic view of the arid landscape and the giant, wave-speckled lake to their north.

Alexia, however, was much too frightened to be able to take in the gorgeous view. Instead, she whimpered softly with her face nestled into Jess's body, knowing that her friend's upper-body strength was the only thing keeping her from plummeting to certain death.

"D-d-don't let me fall, don't let me fall, please, please..."

"I won't, I won't, Lexi. Don't worry..."

Despite the perilous situation they were in, Jess held her friend affectionately in her arms like an infant. She hugged Alexia firmly as they drifted through the air, determined to keep her safe no matter what happened.

Squinting toward the Alamo Sea, Jess caught sight of none other than her plane, which was plummeting toward the water in a spiraling nosedive. When it hit the water at such speed, the plane spontaneously exploded, sending debris and a thick cloud of smoke over the toxic lake.

"Damn..." muttered Jess, shaking her head. "Another one gone."

She knew all too well that this was the third plane of hers that had crashed in six months, even though she did not want Alexia to know this. The two previous incidents had been the result of pilot error, caused by fatigue from Jess's own drug use and excessive partying.

This time, however, the engine had seemed to just spontaneously combust in mid-air. From what she had observed, Alexia had not been doing anything wrong; in fact, she had been keeping excellent control of the plane for someone so inexperienced, so the cause of such a dramatic engine failure certainly couldn't be her fault. If anything, the decrepit plane she had stolen had simply given out, leaving the two friends to escape its aluminum hatch before they both ended up dead in the water.

As they approached the expanse of scorching desert, Jess bent her knees to ensure that the impact would be soft. She skidded to a halt in an ankle-deep patch of sand, Alexia still shaking fearfully in her arms.

She set her friend down in the warm sand. Once she realized she was indeed still alive, she kissed the ground joyously, partially in reverence to God for not killing her off just yet and much to the humorous enjoyment of Jess.

"Aw man..." she rasped before spitting out a few specks of sand. "...I've never been so glad to see the ground in my life..."

"Y'know, I can't say I blame you, friend," comforted Jess as she slipped off her chute. "But at least the powers that be haven't decided to kill us off yet."

Alexia laughed slightly, before realizing to a fuller extent what had occurred; Jess's plane had been destroyed, and she had been at the controls.

"I...What did I do wrong, Jess?"

"Nothing! From what I saw, you were doing an awesome job until...that happened. We must've hit a flock of birds or something."

"Then I should've been paying closer attention. I don't remember seeing any birds..."

She sighed solemnly, tears welling in her eyes.

"I...I'm sorry for destroying your plane, Jess."

Seeing her friend so upset, Jess slid beside her in the sand, holding her head comfortingly.

"Alexia...You didn't destroy my plane. It's cool...If anything, the engine just gave out. It tends to happen in those old 1980s biplanes. If anything, I should've stolen a better plane instead of one from the airport's scrapyard. I-I'll be sure to do better next time."

Alexia sniffled, even as Jess petted her head affectionately.

"...Well, still, that made for a pretty shitty first flight lesson."

"Girl, don't even sweat that. Really, my first flight was actually a lot worse."

"It was?"

At this point, Jess was forced to backtrack, glancing upwards and scratching her head nervously.

"I...W-well, actually no, it wasn't."

Alexia again bowed her head in shame, hiding her face from her friend.

"But you know what, that's perfectly okay. If anything, it's definitely one of the most entertaining plane rides I've ever been on. Look, don't let this get to you, Lexi. After I steal another craft, we'll, uh, do a repeat of the lesson. As God is my witness, Alexia, I will be sure that you earn your wings."

Alexia smiled, and Jess did the same before they hugged warmly.

"...Thanks for being so understanding, Jess."

"Oh, it's no trouble, Lexi. What are friends for, after all?"

Alexia embraced her best friend nearly as tightly as when she was hanging onto her body for dear life. She was beyond words to describe her joy at seeing Jess well again. At that moment, the burgeoning young criminal felt that all the money in the world would have been worth having her best friend by her side.

All the same, as she clutched her friend affectionately, she realized that she could never ever let Jess know that her recovery had come out of her own pocket. Doing so would drive an immense wedge (worth approximately $100,000) between the two friends. As her uncle had said, a cumulative tally of debts was something she wanted to avoid in order to keep her friendship with Jess running strong.

The ragged screech of a few overhead vultures imterrupted their tender embrace. Both girls soon realized that they were surrounded on all sides by sand and cacti, with even a stereotypical tumbleweed rolling past them.

"...Oh yeah..." Jess laughed nervously. "There is kinda the small matter of being stranded in the Senora Desert."

"Yeah...You know your way around out here, Jess?"

"Eh, kinda. Your memory gets kinda hazy when you're on so many X trips out here. But I think the nearest highway is...Oh that doesn't matter, here comes someone now!"

Following Jess's pointed finger, Alexia witnessed another sight typical of the desert; a lone dust cloud approaching them, and the shadow of what looked like a beat-up old pickup truck enveloped by the dirty cloud.

"Here, let me handle this, Lexi," proclaimed Jess as she stepped forward. "I know how to hitchhike like a pro."

Stepping up to the dirt path the truck was following, Jess waved her arms to get the driver's attention.

Alexia, however, could not help but feel terribly uneasy as the truck approached. She could not explain why she was feeling so, but all the girl could do was look on as Jess bounced cheerfully up to the drivers' side window.

"E-excuse me, sir!" she heard her shout over the rumbling engine. "Sorry to bother you, but me and my friend's, uh, car broke down. Could you give us a ride to the highwa-"

Before she knew it, she saw Jess slump forward, her body falling limply to the desert sand.

Alexia's gut wrenched in horror. The passenger opened his door, and Alexia tried to run as fast as she could through the cacti.

All of a sudden, she felt a stabbing pinprick in her neck, followed by every single muscle in her body instantaneously going numb.

She stumbled forward in the sand, crawling forward until the muscles in her fingers became numb. As well as being completely paralyzed, she noticed she was also losing consciousness at an alarming rate as a result of whatever these people had done to her.

All she could comprehend was a dark figure approach her, seeming to stand over her mockingly as he looked at the paralyzed girl on the ground.

She felt herself being picked up and tossed onto the person's shoulder before finally surrendering to the sea of encroaching darkness.


	24. Just Deserts

When Alexia finally came to, she felt as if she had been asleep for nearly a hundred years. She had difficulty even garnering the strength to keep her eyes open, so potent was whatever had knocked her out.

After a few minutes, she was able to retain her cognitive functions long enough to make out her immediate surroundings. She found herself in the middle of a filthy living area, which she soon deduced as being the inside of a trailer. Patches of carpet had been torn up and stained with questionable materials. Empty pizza boxes, infested by colonies of cockroaches, lay by a couch littered with bedbug larvae and empty beer bottles. To complete the experience was an extremely-pungent odor that pervaded the air, which immediately caused Alexia to gag.

She attempted to clench her fingers over her nose, but instead found that she could not move her arms. Further inspection revealed heavy cords of rope tied around her waist, pinning her arms behind her back and restraining her to a metal dining chair.

Immensely frightened, Alexia struggled against the ropes, but to no avail. In the process of squirming, however, she felt another presence behind her: precisely, a few strands of curly hair brushing up against her own.

Craning her neck as far as she possibly could, her worst fears were indeed confirmed: Jess was tied up as well, facing away from her friend. Her friend was slumped forward in her restraints and taking shallow breaths, indicating that she had not yet woken up.

Alexia attempted to get her friend's attention, but she could only muffle the words because of something that had been placed over her mouth. Its sticky texture indicated it as a strip of industrial duct tape, intended to keep her from crying for help.

Quite aware of the predicament they were both in, Alexia tried with all the force she could muster to loosen her bonds, but the ropes were simply too strong for her to break through.

Realizing that her efforts were futile, Alexia slumped sadly, clenching her eyes shut and trying to convince herself that this was just some terrible nightmare, and that she would wake up safely in her bed.

Upon opening her eyes, the same putrid surroundings greeted her once again, as well as the smell that she was powerless but to inhale.

There was no doubt in her mind that whoever had kidnapped her and her friend had malicious intentions at heart. She was sure that they were both going to be horribly tortured in an attempt to gain information on the Skulls. She could think of no other reason as to why someone would go to so much trouble to abduct them.

Frightened at such a terrifying aspect, Alexia feverishly racked her mind for anything to help her and her friend escape this fate. Thoughts raced by at an incredible pace as a cold sweat chilled her neck. Aside from her own heavy breathing, all that Alexia could hear was the constant motorized hum of an air conditioning unit as well as a buzzing static-laden television set on a shelf.

Soon enough, another sound presented itself outside of the grimy trailer: the sound of a motor engine, which she noticed sounded all too familiar. Struggling to peer out of a dirt-smeared window, she came to see that it was indeed the same red pickup truck that they had encountered in the desert. Two men stepped out of the truck, heading towards the front entrance.

 _"Hold up, Ron!"_ shouted one of the men. _"I'm gonna have a little talk with the two business-stealers. You just stay put for now."_

 _"Got it, T,"_ replied the other man, in a much less authoritative voice. _"Lord knows I wouldn't wanna be around for one of your infamous, uh...interrogations."_

Alexia seized at hearing the word, which only confirmed the kidnappers' intentions. She was, however, confused on why he referred to them both as 'business-stealers'.

She heard a soft rustling behind her, followed by a muffled groan as Jess awoke. She nudged her friend with her elbow, trying to get her attention. Realizing the situation they were in, Jess began to panic, struggling fiercely against her restraints.

At this point, Alexia came up with an idea: she had seen how Jess had broken through her restraints in the compound, so theoretically, perhaps she could break through the ropes that bound them both.

She goaded her friend to continue struggling, even though it only came out as a series of muffles. Jess muffled back, still immensely confused and frightened, but trying with immense effort to break through the ropes.

"Ah, well it appears the two sleeping beauties are finally awake!" said the man from the front porch.

Without warning, he kicked open the front door with such force that it nearly broke free of its rusted hinges, causing Jess to scream in terror under her tape.

The man finally stepped into view in the dim light of the trailer. He was certainly a frightening figure, a tall and incredibly-disheveled presence with hate-filled eyes that indicated nothing but a bloodthirsty maniac. Several tattoos were present among his grimy, unbathed skin, one noticeably circumnavigating his neck with a dashed line, with a message reading 'Cut Here'.

"Did you have a nice, relaxing nap? Huh? Well, I sure hope you fucking did, because you two are in more shit right now than you could possibly even imagine!"

He angrily smashed an empty beer bottle against a nearby countertop, spraying broken glass over the filthy, bug-infested carpet. Alexia could hear Jess begin to cry, realizing that they had been kidnapped by such a violent psychopath.

The man appeared to breathe heavily, as if to calm himself, before making his way over to where the two girls were restrained.

He knelt down, staring Alexia straight in the face, so close that she could smell his hot, pungent breath which reeked of copious amounts of alcohol. She attempted to lean back away from him and began to sweat nervously, which the man immediately caught onto.

"A little nervous now, aren't we darling?" he said with a laugh. "...Ah, can't really say I blame you. Most people are, anyways..."

He put his hand up to Alexia's face, delicate brushing a few strands of her hair. She clenched her eyes shut before gaining the courage to stare the man square in the face, narrowing her eyes in a show of defiance.

The man instead smiled in return.

"And that's the second thing they always do, try and intimidate me. Which is kinda bullshit because, well...you and your friend are all tied up, and I'm the deranged guy who's not. Who you think wins in that situation, huh?"

The man got up, not giving Alexia time to respond to his rhetorical question. Instead, he moved to the other side, where Jess sat petrified and trembling.

"Aww, that's adorable," remarked the man with an evil grin. "You're terrified, sister, I can tell. So many questions you must be asking yourself, like...who is this creepy-ass old man? And why did he kidnap me? And is there a chance that I'm gonna leave here without being dismembered and eaten by said unstable individual?"

She could hear Jess crying heavily, gasping for air through the duct tape over her mouth. In response, Alexia attempted to squirm in her ropes once again, much to the enjoyment of their kidnapper.

The man chuckled at Jess's sniveling and Alexia's mad struggles to free herself, as if he was entertained by their charade.

He stood up with a casual sigh, walking over to where both girls could see him.

"...But, I suppose we can go over all that later. First thing's first, though...You two seem to be having some major, uh, communication issues. So, I'll tell you what...I'm gonna go ahead and take that tape off your mouths, give you a chance to explain yourselves. Is that, uh, fair enough for you two?"

Alexia and Jess, who could just barely see each other through peripheral vision, nodded simultaneously at his proposal.

"Very well then..."

The man smiled deviously as he grabbed hold of Alexia's tape, ripping it violently from her mouth. She couldn't help but flinch at the painful stinging it left as it was removed. He then went over to Jess and performed the same action, causing her to yelp in pain as the tape was torn from her lips.

Jess breathed heavily, sniveling back tears, while Alexia soon found herself in her familial awkward state, where she was perfectly capable of speech, but was so frozen with anxiety that she could not come up with words to articulate.

The man leaned casually against a kitchen counter, while the two girls simply stared at him, speechless.

"...Well, what's wrong with you?" he demanded angrily. "Cat got your tongue? Oh no, that's impossible, because I haven't ripped it out of your skulls yet! What's your game, huh?"

With Jess still in watery hysterics, Alexia had no choice but to speak for the both of them.

"Well...W-we're just kinda confused, actually...Why did you kidnap us?"

"Ah, but that's the question, isn't it? Why did I go to all the trouble to shoot down your shitty-ass plane, knock you out with tranquilizer darts, and then tie you up in this little trailer? What motivation would I have to do such a thing?"

"Wait...You shot our plane down?" asked Alexia, flabbergasted.

Jess perked up as well, sensing that the man was somehow bluffing. However, he stood firm, crossing his arms in accomplishment.

"...Well, I hate to admit this, but it wasn't entirely me. My partner Ron took the shots that knocked out your engine. I just provided the little conspiracy nut with a high-powered rifle, then let him trace your flight path and get to work. He's, uh, resourceful like that."

 _"I did real good, didn't I, T?"_ replied an excited voice from outside the trailer.

" _ **RON**_ , you cheeky bastard!" he thundered, terrifying the girls once again. "I told you I'd introduce you later, alright? Me and them got issues to resolve first!"

 _"S-sorry, Trevor, I'll be quiet..."_

Trevor sighed heavily before looking again at the two girls.

"I know what you must be thinking. What issues have we got to resolve? We don't even know each other, do we? So how can we even have issues?...Well, to answer that...I'm afraid that you two have just had the unfortunate privilege of butting heads with none other than T.P. Inc."

"...T.P. Inc?" asked Jess in a small voice.

"Yeah. I'm...guessing neither of you have heard of us, have you?"

The girls both shook their heads, prompting a heavy sigh from Trevor.

"...Well, I suppose that's understandable, we're still an up-and-coming enterprise, you see. But to put it short...our conglomerate is about customer satisfaction. We move traffic, whether it be guns, drugs, dead bodies, or...what have you. Whatever the case, quality, on-time deliveries are Trevor Philips Industries' ultimate goals. As such, it is also our goal to snuff out any dumb fucks that may want to impede on our mission statement...That's where you two are, I'm afraid."

"Look, dude, we never meant to impede on your business," snapped Alexia in a more assertive tone. "This is all a big misunderstanding."

"Is it?...Well, no matter the case, it doesn't matter what your intentions might've been. The fact is that you two have quite a history of crisscrossing the state, busting up deals and taking what is not exactly yours...Not that I see anything wrong with that. In fact, my company also happens to be a great contributor to this drug recycling program, which is where aforementioned problems began to assert themselves. And, in addition to taking all these stashes for yourself, you've even managed to take out many components of my small-but-loyal customer base in the desert. What have you to say for that?"

Alexia and Jess shifted uncomfortably in their binds, searching for something to say to the enraged man.

"Uh...sorry?" Jess squeaked.

"ARE YOU FUCKING BULLSHITTING ME?!"

In response, Trevor stomped to Jess's position, getting face-to-face with the frightened girl in order to further intimidate her.

"Argh, what kind of criminal are you, huh?!" he shouted in her face, inducing further whimpers from Jess. "You steal another guy's business and all you can say is _'Uh, sorry'?_ Why I oughta just-!"

"Leave her alone, asshole."

Trevor directed his attention over to Alexia, who was staring him straight in his crazed face.

He left Jess, who was struggling to hold back further tears, and got close to this girl, who he noticed had commendable guts to be able to call him such a name.

"...What did you say, sweetheart? I don't think I, uh, heard you correctly."

"I said leave her alone, _asshole_."

Putting an extra snarling emphasis on her last word so that he could hear, Alexia stared the man down in a fashion she didn't think she was capable of as her anger began to rise.

Trevor, meanwhile, enjoyed a good laugh at Alexia's desperate attempt to somehow free herself and her friend.

"Oh...oh, man, that's fuckin' rich," he said between laughs. "Y-you're the one all tied up, completely helpless, and yet...you call ME an asshole! I-I must admit, I appreciate your guts, girlfriend, but...I'm afraid you'll accomplish nothing with 'em. Nah. Not in this situation."

"Lexi, c'mon..." Jess choked through tears. "Let's just do what he-"

"Go ahead and lay one more finger on us, you...douchenugget!" shouted Alexia, straining against the ropes that bound her. "Then your ass is gonna have a whole crew full of psychos and killers to answer to!"

"Ohh, you mean the Black Skulls? Those guys?"

He laughed once again, taking Alexia's face in both his hands.

"Yeahh, just lettin' you know this now, sister...I don't give a single shit about the 'Black Skulls'. I mean, really, what kind of stupid name is that? Sounds like some twelve-year-old's attempt at trying to be threatening."

"Doesn't matter if you don't like the name," replied Alexia just as sternly. "You fuck with us, and your 'T.P. Inc.' is just gonna come crashing down around you."

"Then you obviously don't know how much crazy shit I've survived. How many guys you can kill on a single speed trip. Spoiler alert...it's a lot."

He tusseled Alexia's hair, further annoying her, before standing up to stretch.

"Y'know, those 'Roses of Death' guys you seem to be feuding with...they tried to take me out when they tried to expand into Sandy Shores, a couple years back. But they eventually gave up when I kept slaughtering their guys by the fuckin' truckload. Ironically enough, those guys are now some of _my_ most consistent buyers of crystal. It all comes full circle, I guess."

"Bullshit..." she said, more quietly. "N-no way you could take out all those guys completely by yourself!"

"Wellll you better believe it. Because that's exactly what I did."

"Oh my God..." Alexia heard Jess whisper. "...So you're that crazy homeless guy that's been seen at all the gang killings around here!"

"Uhh, not so. As you can see, I do indeed have a home. A good home, at that. But the part about the mass killings? Yeahh, that would be me."

"Ohh, why couldn't we have been abducted by someone else?!" Jess groaned. "Like a...a-a marine biologist, or something!"

Jess audibly lamented their situation, crying at the fact that they were captured by a maniac and known cannibal with a penchant for mutilating those he caught.

Alexia looked downwards toward her bound torso, halting her violent struggles and angered rhetoric, much to the satisfaction of Trevor.

"Now THAT looks like someone that's wised up, huh?!" he laughed, taking Alexia by the shoulders. "That's much more like it! Ooh, if you weren't a lowlife business-stealer, I'd throw you a fuckin' party! But instead...I'm afraid a little torture's gonna have to do for now."

He promptly stood up, withdrawing some sort of tool from his pants pocket. Both girls seized in terror as they recognized it as a pair of rusted pliers.

"What, you seriously thought you were gonna get out of this without any consequences? Nahhh, it don't work like that, I gotta have somethin' in return. And the price for your infraction is gonna be about...one tooth from each of you."

"C'mon, c-c-can't we work something out?!" asked Jess, squirming feverishly. "I-I-I mean, this seems a little rash, doesn't it?"

"Rash would be killing you and putting you on my grill. This, this is pretty sensible. You should be grateful for that."

Jess hyperventilated, bracing herself for the pain she was about to endure as Trevor advanced toward her.

Alexia, meanwhile, remained un-responsive, but Trevor could not deduce whether she was simply bemoaning their predicament, or was deep in thought over something he couldn't quite comprehend.

Nonetheless, he was quite annoyed, as he expected her to be whimpering in fear before him as her friend already was.

"What's the matter, huh? You jealous 'cause your friend's gonna lose her tooth first? Well, if you ask real nice, I could possibly skip her turn and go straight to you."

"N-no, don't hurt her, okay?!" screamed Jess, struggling against her bonds. "J-just take two of my teeth, and leave her alone!"

"That won't be necessary, Jess..." said Alexia softly.

Trevor turned to Alexia, more confused than ever, as she raised her head slowly.

"...No one's gonna be losing their teeth. Not today."

Trevor blinked a couple of times, trying to figure how this girl could be so incredibly blind and stupid.

"Uh...Okay, what the FUCK do you mean?!" he growled at her. "I'm a dangerous guy with a penchant for torture holding a pair of pliers! What more proof of your situation do you need, sweetheart?!"

"Don't even try to play dumb. You and I both know what this is really about."

Enraged beyond measure, Trevor grabbed hold of Alexia's shirt collar, pulling her up to face his crazed face contorted with anger.

"I don't know what kind of stupid-ass game you think you're playin' here," he said in a low growl. "But...you are starting to really... _REALLY_ piss me off. You got exactly ten fucking seconds to explain what you mean before I-"

"Yeah yeah yeah, you've already emphasized what you do to people," said Alexia, unfazed. "Like, a hundred times already. Which just reinforces my idea that what you really want...is for us to join Trevor Philips Incorporated."

"It's _INDUSTRIES_ , asswipe!" he shouted in her face. "And what makes you think I'd even let you two into my coveted business, my way of life, when all I see before me is a couple of cowardly fuckwads who got themselves kidnapped?"

"But that's the thing," Alexia continued. "The kidnapping was just an orientation, to introduce us to how you do things. Look, you said before that we were killing people that were part of your customer base. But in reality...everyone that we've killed so far have also been drug smugglers, however addicted they might be to your products. So my thinking goes...Maybe, in reality, you do want them dead. But it's in your best interest to not get caught killing them yourself, or you'll lose a lot of business. That's where the concept of hired guns comes to mind. And frankly...we'd be glad to help you out. Right, Jess?"

"O-oh yeah, yeah, definitely," she said with an incredibly-nervous laugh. "We got you covered, Mr...Trevor. Whatever you need."

"Yeah, there's absolutely no use in us being enemies," affirmed Alexia, shaking her head. "But if we work for you, then you get that something in return that you want, and we don't get, uh, eaten. So, what do you say?"

Trevor did not say anything; instead, he looked at the girl with with a potent mixture of anger and profound confusion, still holding the pliers in his hand.

This girl was clearly different than some of the other people he had kidnapped. She had no trouble asserting that she was not afraid of him, despite his threats of physical harm. Instead, she had the ability to see through his crazed, maniacal appearance, despite the stresses that must come with being tied up in a filthy trailer and interrogated by someone like him.

His first thought was to react violently in retaliation for making him feel so small and idiotic. But, he was stopped in his tracks by the girl's look of sincerity, as she patiently awaited his response to her proposal. It was at this moment that Trevor realized that the girl, through her indiscriminate gaze, looked upon him not as the crazed psycho that most saw him as, but rather as a fellow human being, involved in the same business as her and her friend. He, of course, was not used to another person looking at him in this manner, besides his partner Ron, who he always tried to keep scared into submission.

In response to her hypothesis, however, Trevor himself was unsure of whether or not he had truly wanted them to join the TPI conglomerate, or if he had simply wanted to torture them in retaliation for their infraction on his trade. He had simply recognized the girls as being a problem, and so ordered that they be kidnapped and brought to his trailer. This, however, was where any specifics of the plan had ended. From that point on, he pictured the girls either cooperating with his demands to stay away from his business, or to simply kill them and cannibalize their remains if they refused to comply.

Alexia and Jess simply stared at the man, who remained frozen and speechless in quite a frightening manner, as if something had snapped in his mind because of Alexia's words.

 _"...Lexi, I think you broke him,"_ whispered Jess hoarsely.

Snapping out of his cataleptic state, Trevor shook his head feverishly, glaring at Alexia once again.

"...Y'know, I've never liked people trying to get inside my head. Therapists? More like 'sick fucks who take your money and then shamelessly invade your privacy'. I've been through too many to count when I was a kid. One of 'em even got me kicked out of the Air Force...Didn't so much as blink or even apologize before writing 'unstable' on that damn piece of paper..."

"Well, don't worry, I'm no therapist," said Alexia with a hint of laughter. "I didn't even finish high school."

"No, but you sure as shit act like one," he said, the anger rising in his voice. "So if you're so smart, darling, then riddle me this...How the fuck do you know anything about me? I'm an utterly unpredictable maniac! Instead of letting you work for me, I could simply gut you and then strangle you with your own entrails. Hell, that'd be a lot more fun than running the risk of, say, you goin' back to your boss and ordering an airstrike on my trailer."

"Very true. We could very well do that. But...why would we? First of all, the Skulls have got much bigger fish to fry right now than dicking around in Sandy Shores. And second of all, me and Jess...we're like any other criminals in this state, just trying to make a buck. Therefore, we'll take any job if the price is right...Even if the price this time is you not gutting us."

"Yeah, you wouldn't like my entrails if you tried them," said Jess, shaking her head. "Way too much scar tissue."

"Ew, Jess!" groaned Alexia. "Is that really necessary?"

"Sorry, I just thought he should know."

"SHUT! UP!"

The two girls turned in fear back to Trevor, who had since grabbed a large kitchen knife from a nearby drawer.

"You think you can just boss me around, huh? Well, let me tell you something, I am BEYOND annoyed by you two! So, I guess I have no choice..."

He advanced towards them, causing the girls to squirm in fear of what he would do.

"P-please, Trevor, think about this!" pleaded Alexia.

"Ohh, the time for thinking is over, sweetheart! I've done enough of that already!"

He raised the knife, and both girls cowered fearfully, anticipating the painful gutting that was to follow.

As she clenched her eyes shut, Alexia felt her bonds being loosened before falling off of her completely. Shocked by the revelation, she turned to Jess, who gratefully moved her arms from behind her back and rubbed her rope-burned wrists.

Alexia did the same, stretching her freed arms. She glanced over at Trevor, who threw the severed rope into a distant corner of the litter-strewn trailer. He sighed as he turned back to the former captives.

"...You're clearly smarter than I thought...So, I think you both know that if you make me regret this, then the next session will be a lot more, uh...lethal."

"Yeah, yeah, of course," said Alexia, standing up gratefully as she rubbed her wrists. "Uhm...thank you, Trevor."

"Thank me when you're not dead. Right now, though...the job I have planned for you two to do could very well result in that, if you're not careful. But, uh, I'll get my buddy Ron to give you details on that."

He opened the door to his trailer, looking out at a trailer neighboring his own.

"RON, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE NOW!"

 _"C-coming, Trevor!"_

The two girls heard rapid, panicked footsteps traversing the sandy ground and climbing up the steps, before a disheveled, bug-eyed man entered the trailer. His matted gray hair was covered by a dirty canvas hat. Equally unwashed were a pair of cargo shorts and open-toed shoes, along with a brace on one of his knees. The man's disheveled appearance was similar to that of Trevor, only this man did not have the crazy, murderous look in his eyes or the profane tattoos of his boss.

He looked over at the two untied girls, smiling at the fact that Trevor had not resorted to violence and cannibalism, as was so often the case.

"Everything went well, I presume?" he asked his boss.

"Swimmingly," Trevor said flatly as he opened a beer. "Now, tell our new inductees what they need to be doing for us."

"R-right. Well, let me just say welcome to the team, you two. I think you'll like it here at Trevor Philips Industries, that is if you're not afraid to get your hands dirty."

"Well, whatever keeps us from getting eaten, y'know?" said Jess with a nervous cough.

"That's a good way of looking at it. But, for as long as you stay useful to us, that probably won't happen. Now, about what we need you to do for us...As you probably know, the Lost Motorcycle Club have been active in this area lately."

"Yeah, and it's fucking annoying," growled Trevor. "Ever since they set up that clubhouse of theirs, I can't even go for a nice relaxing drive without getting stuck behind a line of shitty-ass motorcycles! Get off the fucking road if you drive that slow, you leather chapped pricks!"

"Very true, they are annoying," nodded Ron. "But what complicates matters is...the Lost are also some of the biggest tweakers in the county. So if either of us get caught attacking one of their labs, then half our customer base is suddenly gone. So, that's where you two come in. The Lost have had the gall, the audacity, to set up a meth lab on the other side of the Alamo Sea. As you can imagine, it's causing...problems for us."

"That's putting it lightly. You know how many impoverished methheads there are in the Grapeseed-Chiliad area? So if someone is manufacturing cheap crystal up there, people up there ain't gonna buy my quality product! It's bullshit!"

"Don't worry, Trevor," Ron tried to console him. "That batch Chef cooked up is not gonna go to waste. Because you two are gonna go up there and acquisition what they're producing. Then, to ensure that lab ain't gonna cause us more trouble, we''ll need you two to destroy it. Safest method is probably by using a gasoline trail or sticky bombs. Y'know, however you wanna do it."

"Shit, blowing up a meth lab?" remarked Alexia. "That's something that'll bring some serious heat."

"Then get outta there before the cops show!" said an annoyed Trevor. "And bring the stuff back to my trailer after you deal with all the bikers."

"It's cheap product, sure," agreed Ron. "But we can still get a good price out of it, y'know?...Anyway, just expect there to be a lot of 'em up there and possibly reinforcements as well."

"Ohh, no need to worry, partnah," said Jess, rising from her chair. "This ain't our first rodeo."

Jess wrapped an arm around Alexia, who smiled in return.

"Yeah. I figured, considering the reputation you two have earned. But still, just be careful okay?"

"They know this already, Ron! It's not like I kidnapped them just for the hell of it."

"Well, all the same, I'm glad we were able to work things out amicably."

"We'll see about that..." declared Trevor, looking ferociously over the two girls. "These two still have to prove their worth to my organization. So yeah, if you do good, I might not have to eat your warm livers. But if it goes south, then we're gonna have to work out some...other mode of repayment."

Jess gulped.

"Not like...the sexual form of repayment, right?"

"You two aren't really my type. Besides, I'd never jeopardize the company by fucking my employees. It's unethical."

"Trevor is one of the most ethical people I know," stated Ron proudly. "And that's a fact."

The girls searched desperately for a hint of sarcasm in Ron's speech, but came up empty-handed.

"...Argh, what the fuck are you waiting for, huh?!"

Without warning, he grabbed each girl by the backs of their shirt collars and, with impressive physical strength, dragged them forcefully out of the door and to the edge of the steps.

"Don't either of you come back until the job's done! I want that explosion to be so fuckin' big I can see it from the comfort of my home! Understood?"

"U-understood, understood!" they both screamed fearfully.

"Excellent! Now, GET FUCKING MOVING!"

Both girls screamed in terror as they were suddenly flung off the set of steps leading to Trevor's porch. They tumbled on top of each other, the desert sand cushioning what otherwise would have been a more painful impact.

Alexia helped Jess to her feet, and they both ran as fast as they could across the road and away from Trevor's trailer.

Trevor watched the fleeing girls disappear behind a nearby gas station. His angry demeanor calmed somewhat, replaced instead by a more calm, reflective state of mind.

"...Ron, get out here!"

"What is it, Trevor?" reported Ron to Trevor's position.

The crazed man sighed somberly, looking at the trash-strewn floor of his porch.

"I...I just wonder...why do you think it is that I always hurt the ones I love?"

Ron perked up, sensing an opportunity to state an opinion without being physically disciplined by his boss.

"Well, T, I think it has something to do with the fact that as a child you were-"

Ron stopped suddenly, then fell to his knees after receiving a painful kidney punch from Trevor.

"On second thought, I don't really care," said Trevor, casually sipping his beer. "Now go make me a fuckin' sandwich."

 _"Y-yes, Trevor."_

Meanwhile, the two girls continued in a terrified sprint through the searing heat. As soon as the trailer was out of sight, they stopped to catch their breaths, struggling to breathe through their pounding chests and the intense Sun around them.

"Shit...Are you alright, Jess?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. But, man, that guy was scary..."

"I agree, he is pretty scary. But, from the looks of it, we gotta work for him now."

"Oh man, I don't wanna get eaten, Lexi! I-I like my flesh!" said Jess, eyes darting in fear. "...A-and I just-"

"Relax, Jess, we're not gonna get eaten. We'll kill the crazy bastard ourselves if it comes down to it."

"Are you sure about that? 'Cause he was talking about how he defeated pretty much the entire Rose crew in Sandy Shores by himself."

"No one's immortal, alright?" said Alexia shrewdly. "There's gotta be a way to take him out if need be...Hopefully though, it's not gonna come to that. We'll play nice with him, make a little money in the process. That should keep him at bay enough so that the market can still be shared between TPI and the Skulls."

"Shit, you really think ahead, Lexi," said Jess with a laugh.

"Just thinking of ways to benefit us both."

"Well, you keep thinking like that, I...I'm confident the Skulls are gonna have an awesome leader one day."

"I hope so, Jess...I really do...Thanks for sticking by me though, friend. For all this time."

"You're welcome, bestest pal," said Jess as she tusseled Alexia's hair. "...So, uh, how bout I drive us there? I know you've probably done enough of that today."

"Sure thing...Let's roll."

Jess smiled as she withdrew her phone, using it to dial her mechanic and bring one of her cars to their location.

After waiting only a few moments, their transport was ready for them on the side of the road. Another one of Jess's luxury sports cars, a pink-colored Buffalo, sat ready for its owner.

"Our chariot awaits," declared Jess in a fitting accent.

"Yeah, bright pink sports car," remarked Alexia with a timid laugh. "Honestly, I couldn't think of a better way to roll up to a shootout."

"It's the only way to roll up to a shootout in my book."

The girls boarded the vehicle. Jess revved the engine menacingly before taking off down the dusty highway in a cloud of tire smoke and sand particles.

The drive to the shores of Galilee was not a long one, just on the other side of the toxic lake that filled the gap between the Senora Desert and the immense summit of Mount Chiliad to the north.

The only weapon Alexia had with her was her AP pistol, which she always kept in her back pocket and which Trevor had apparently decided not to confiscate. She also carried a melee weapon, a small switchblade, in her sock. Thankfully, she hadn't had to use this weapon yet, as all of her kills had been the results of gunfire and/or explosions.

She loaded her pistol, making sure she had enough magazines to work with.

"...How you doing on bullets, Jess?"

"Ohh, I think I'm good for now. Got something in the back I've been saving for a rainy day. I think you'll like it."

Confused, Alexia turned around to the backseat, only to be stopped in her tracks by what she saw lying between the two passenger seats.

 _"Holy fucking shit..."_

Alexia reached out to touch the weapon, a pink-tinted minigun, with utmost curiosity as well as a perverse sense of satisfaction. Alexia knew that this weapon and its rapidly charged 5 mm rounds could rip apart legions of bikers as if they were nothing.

Jess grinned at Alexia's stunned expression and timid smile as she carressed the gun's destructive barrels.

"Cool, right? I got it a couple years back, but haven't really seen much use for it. But y'know what, I'm gonna let you be the first to fire it."

"Ohh, I'd like that...But, I don't think I can carry a gun this heavy."

"Not to worry, Lex. I got a tripod you can mount it on. I can just drop you off at the hill overlooking the docks, and you set it up there. I'll go in on the ground and flush 'em out into your firing line."

"Okay. That, uh, might work."

"Hell yeah, girl. It'll be like shooting fish in a puddle."

"...Don't you mean 'fish in a barrel'?"

"Shit, is that how it goes?" she asked, surprised. "...Yeah, I think a puddle would be a lot more fun. They'd still be able to like swim around in fear, even though their efforts would be futile."

Alexia nodded in agreement, even though her eyes remained downcast.

"...Hey, Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"Just...just tell me if you're not ready to be around drugs again just yet. You would tell me if it was too much, right?"

"...Of course I would," she said with a comforting smile. "But this time around, I don't think there'll be a problem. I was never really into meth. Always saw it as kind of a hillbilly/white-trash drug. Me, I was into the more classy stuff: heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, amphetamines-"

"Can those really be considered 'classy'?" opined Alexia with a shake of the head.

Jess paused, considering whether or not she had been hasty in her classification of narcotics.

"...Well, they destroy your body more slowly, how about that? Meth just makes you hella ugly right from the get-go."

"Well still, there's nothing classy at all about drugs."

"I agree. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I'm off that shit now...Man, I'm gonna have so much disposable income now from not having to buy coke every other week. Me and you can have ice cream parties like every weekend now if you want."

Alexia laughed.

"Jess, you do what you want with your money. As long as you focus on staying clean."

"Then it's settled," she proclaimed with a grin. "Soon as I have enough, I'm gonna buy my very own yacht! Like, one of those nice ones you see moored off the beach sometimes."

"Alright. Well, if that's what you want, Jess."

"Hell yeah that's what I want. You'll see, I'm gonna have a hot tub...a-and a butler, and an Australian captain, and a private bar, and a helipad, and mounted missile turrets!"

"Wait, why missile turrets?"

"So I can shoot down any fools that try to drop in on our awesome hot tub parties. It's what all the world leaders have on their yachts."

"Shit, man, if you say so," she said, laughing at her friend's hyperactive imagination.

Jess approached the drop-off point, the top of a small hill overlooking the dock buildings. She stepped out of the car to help her friend set up the minigun.

They carried the pink monster in tandem, grunting as they lifted it onto a tripod Jess had planted into the soil.

Alexia tested the setup's integrity, and was pleased to find that the gun pivoted and aimed with ease upon its perch.

"Alrighty, if you're good over here, I'ma go ahead and infiltrate the premises."

"Got it...Be careful, Jess."

"You too, Lexi," she said with a grin. "We'll keep in touch on the headsets."

Jess climbed back into her car, waving at Alexia as she drove off. Alexia waved back, but remained concerned for her friend as she watched her dust cloud disappear.

Eventually, she saw her friend pull up the dirt road that led to the dock facilities. She parked her conspicuous pink car behind a cover of bushes before getting out, scampering to an advantageous position behind a nearby trailer.

Surveying the scene from her position, she could see a few bikers along the perimeter, not particularly doing anything except conversing with each other and smoking narcotics. The majority of the bikers, though, were blocked from Alexia's view by buildings, and it was Jess's job to push them out of cover and into Alexia's sights.

She witnessed her friend reloading her weapon, peering out carefully behind the shoddy aluminum trailer she was stationed behind.

 _"I'm in position,"_ she whispered through her headset. _"Hell of a lot of guys here, but I think we can handle 'em."_

"Alright, just start shooting whenever you're ready."

 _"Oooh, I've been ready since the moment I got here. I fuckin' hate these guys, them and their obnoxious-ass bikes...Y-your bike's cool though, Lexi. I like it."_

"Thanks, Jess," she said with a laugh. "So let's show these guys how real bikers do shit."

 _"Hell yeah, girl. Opening fire!"_

Taking aim with her Bullpup Rifle, Jess let fly a volley of lead toward the bikers' position, successfully striking and killing a couple of them.

 _"Oh hella yeah!"_ Jess gloated. _"...Aw, what's the matter, fellas? Afraid of being shot at by a girl?!"_

Jess continued her assault, despite the copious amount of bullets flying towards her. She quickly reloaded before taking careful aim and scoring a headshot on an unfortunate biker, whose blood and brain matter was subsequently imprinted on the wall behind him.

The rest of the men scrambled for cover behind another building which, unbeknownst to them, was right within the sights of Alexia's minigun.

 _"Well in that case..."_ announced Jess, who sounded much too excited to say her next line.

 _"...SAY HELLO...TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!"_

With perfect timing after Jess's shouted reference, the minigun spun up, and an unfortunate biker was ripped to shreds by the fast-moving bullets, leaving him nothing but a bloody, pulped mess on the ground.

Alexia continued firing, killing several more bikers as they scrambled for any cover they could find. However, they found themselves flanked by both Jess's machine gun fire and the minigun raining down hell on them.

Jess moved up to a building in front of Alexia's position, helping her to pick off some of the bikers who had managed to find more cover.

Soon, only one biker remained, who feverishly raised his hands in the air to indicate he had dropped his weapon.

 _"W-w-wait, don't shoot!"_ Alexia heard over Jess's radio. _"I-I surrender! Please-"_

Jess promptly shot the man square in the forehead, killing him instantly.

 _"Trust me, pal,"_ said Jess over the dead man's body. _"When you're dealing with Trevor Philips, it's best not to be taken alive."_

"I...can't help but agree with you on that."

" _Yeah man, and he didn't even torture us!...A-anyway, I'm gonna head inside the lab, plant some explosive charges. Should make a big enough boom to satisfy him."_

"Alright, I'm gonna watch for any reinforcements...Be careful in there, okay?"

 _"Don't worry. Any meth-crazy gangster I encounter is gonna have to contend with this gun in their face...and then with an extra hole in their face."_

Alexia watched as Jess kicked open the door to the meth lab, keeping her gun pointed at whatever might jump out at her.

 _"Holy shit!"_ exclaimed Jess. _"...No crazed methheads, but man, there is a **LOT** of feces in here."_

From the corner of her vision, Alexia caught sight of vehicles moving down the road: more specifically, several bikes with angry-looking riders atop them, revving their engines menacingly.

She quickly reloaded the minigun before spraying hot lead upon the Lost's reinforcements. The men, however, were quick to shoot back at her, some of their bullets only narrowly missing her.

Alexia looked down at her minigun and its conspicuous bright-pink hue, which she realized was giving the bikers something very visible to aim at.

 _'Dammit Jess, why does all your stuff have to be pink?'_ she thought internally.

In an attempt to throw them off, Alexia abandoned the minigun, instead returning fire with her AP pistol while taking cover behind a boulder. From this long-distance position, she managed to hit a biker in the chest and kill him, then to disarm another with a bullet to the arm.

Finally, an enraged biker had had enough; from his jacket, he withdrew a small pipe bomb, on which he set the detonator before preparing to throw.

"EAT THIS, YOU SLIMY LITTLE BITCH!"

Alexia recoiled in horror as she saw the live explosive flying through the air toward her position. She ran from the boulder just in time to not be incinerated by the explosion. Instead, the blast radius pushed her forward, causing her to lose her footing.

She fumbled wildly before falling down the face of a cliff edge that led down to the docks. Her body tumbled down the cliff, making hard contact with rocks and thorns protruding from its face before she face-planted hard onto the dirt road below.

Jess bounded out from the meth lab, having heard the explosion, and her stomach gripped in terror when she saw her friend.

"LEXI!" she shouted, fearing the worst.

Alexia remained motionless, even as the bikers made their way down the dirt road.

Jess wasted no time in dragging Alexia out of their firing line, putting her beside her in cover.

Flipping her over to confirm her condition, she realized that she had been knocked unconscious by a blow to the head, which matted one part of her hair with blood. Her face was scratched and bleeding as well, and her clothes had been torn by spiked branches and jagged rocks, wounding the skin underneath.

As worried about her friend as she was, Jess heard the bikers dismounting their rides, advancing towards her position with weapons drawn. She growled furiously, her temples flaring with anger.

"YOU'RE GONNA REGRET HURTING MY FRIEND, SHITHEADS!"

She opened fire relentlessly upon the bikers, immediately striking several of them. With a furious scream, she continued firing, even as several sets of machine gun bullets flew past her.

She withdrew, seething from pain as a bullet penetrated her upper arm, creating a deep, bleeding gash across her bicep.

"Damn, nicked me good..." she said, covering the wound with her other hand. "...O-okay, I'll give you that one! But you're still gonna pay big-time, ya' cunts! You'll see!"

She heard soft groaning beside her as Alexia came to, putting her hands to her throbbing forehead.

"Oh my God, Lexi!" she exclaimed, getting closer to her friend. "A-are you okay?"

"I..." she said softly, before groaning from the pain. "...w-what happened?"

"You fell like twenty feet off a cliff, girl! You were out cold for a bit."

"Really?..."

She withdrew her fingers from her temple, and she found them stained with bright red blood. She felt a great deal of pressure behind her eyes, causing her to see stars.

"Aghhh shit, my head..."

"I-it's okay, Lexi, don't push yourself! I can take care of these guys!"

"No, Jess, I wanna help-"

Alexia froze, feeling around in her pocket for her AP pistol, which was missing.

"...Fuck, where's my gun? I just had it!"

"You probably dropped it during the fall. Maybe...Oh, I see it. Over there in the road."

Alexia followed Jess's gaze over to a glinting piece of metal in the dirt road in front of them, at the moment by the bullets of several angry bikers.

Jess smiled smugly.

"A-ha! Now you're gonna have to stay here and recuperate-"

Before she could do anything, Alexia was on her feet, running right into the middle of the road. Jess tried desperately to grab at her friend, but she was left literally grabbing at her friend's dust.

"SHIT, LEXI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Still immensely disoriented and with geometric shapes clouding her vision, Alexia ran into the middle of the dirt road. Bullets missed her by mere inches, which pumped enough adrenaline into her pain-filled body to numb the extent of her injuries.

She quickly grabbed her AP pistol before scrambling to the other side of the road, taking cover behind another rock.

Even in her state of imbalance and with blood still seeping from her head, Alexia opened fire mercilessly upon the bikers, not caring at all about the highly dangerous situation.

 _"Are you completely MAD, WOMAN?!"_

Alexia turned to see Jess glaring at her, huffing with disdain at her impetuous decision before communicating once again through her headset.

 _"Like, seriously, what the fuck are you doing, Lexi?!"_

"What's it look like I'm doing?" she replied as she fired off more rounds at the bikers. "I'm being a distraction."

 _"What?! You...Ohhhhh."_

Jess laughed as she realized what Alexia was truly up to.

 _"I-I knew that blow to the head didn't just make you crazy!"_

"Shit, it might have. We'll just see, won't we?"

 _"We sure will, buddy. Just as soon as these bikers consort with FIRE AND FLAMES, BIIIITCH!"_

Without skipping a beat, Jess withdrew one of her favorite items, a fragmentation grenade, before lobbing it over at the wall of motorcycles.

Even with Alexia's distraction, the bikers still saw and scrambled for cover before their bikes were flung by the explosion, leaving them as twisted pieces of flaming metal scattered over the site.

 _"Hahaaa! They know that if they throw any bombs at us, the whole meth lab'll go up! We'll all die!"_

"...Shit, hopefully they realize that!" sounded Alexia, heavily concerned about such a thought.

 _"Well nonetheless, they're driven back! We gotta increase the pressure!"_

Jess left her cover, shooting at any bikers she saw. Bravely facing gunfire from machine guns all around her, Jess managed to get up-close to the bikers, killing one with a couple of well-placed headshots.

Alexia followed her friend out of cover, taking bikers on her side. Running while aiming with her gun, she managed to down a couple of bikers shooting at her behind a trailer before making her way over beside her friend. They both reloaded before unleashing more hellfire on the bikers.

It was only at this moment that Alexia saw her friend's arm, bleeding heavily with a gash that cut through several layers of skin.

Jess, however, grinned maniacally, so adrenaline-filled that she hardly even noticed her injury.

"Hahahaaa, take some of this, ya' fuckin'...dickturds!" she shouted, obviously enjoying herself. "You call yourselves bikers?! Because all I'm seeing is a bunch of LOSERS!"

Jess sprang out of cover once again, hitting a biker in the chest.

"Yeah, hold this L for me! And fuckin' DIE while you're at it, bitch!"

Alexia, meanwhile, had a good view of two bikers behind a trailer opposite them. She took cover from a volley of bullets before expertly delivering a headshot on a reloading biker.

"...I-I guess you could call that a...a real head rush!...Ah shit, that wasn't any good."

"Don't worry, Lexi," smiled Jess. "You'll get used to shouting one-liners eventually."

The two eventually worked the bikers down to a few desperate individuals, who soon began to retreat once they realized how formidable their opponents were.

They sprinted down the dirt road heading to Grapeseed, Jess and Alexia shooting at them on the way.

"Yeah, and DON'T COME BACK!" screamed Jess.

"Your lease is up...pricks!" shouted Alexia uneasily. "The Lost are done for around here!"

"Aw see, I told you you'd get it!"

"Shit, are one-liners really that important?"

"They are, like, the most important thing," said Jess seriously. "No criminal becomes great without a witty set of insults to scream at their enemies."

"Well, that certainly wasn't a part of the orientation," opined Alexia.

"Girl, your orientation was a street race! Please tell me you trash-talked during that."

Alexia looked down shamefully, indicating a lack of one-liners during her introductory street race.

"Oh..." Jess smiled sympathetically, rubbing her friend's hair. "Don't worry, Lex, you learn stuff every day in this job. So I'm sure you'll get that aspect as well."

"Right...So, you planted the charges in the lab?"

"Uh-huh. Right next to where they keep the lithium-ion batteries. The place is gonna go up like a giant Roman candle.

"Okay, awesome...Wait, weren't we supposed to retrieve the meth they'd already made as well?"

Jess paused, before remembering this component of Trevor's instructions. Her cheeks lit up, and she laughed bashfully as she kicked at the dirt around her.

"Yeaaahh, good thing you told me that before I blew the place up."

"Yeah, Trevor wouldn't be happy with us if we came back without it."

"He'd probably roast our ovaries over an open fire, but...ah, that's beside the point. I'll go in and find it."

Jess disappeared back inside the lab, Alexia keeping watch for any further Lost gangsters.

"Shit, it's not in here!" she heard Jess shout. "All the ingredients are here, but none of the final product! What a rip-off!"

"Well, shit, where do you think it..."

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a garage door opening, followed by the monstrous revving of a motorcycle engine.

Running to the source of the noise, Alexia witnessed a lone biker taking off down the road, with what looked like a white package under the crook of his arm.

Alexia shot several rounds desperately at the fleeing biker, but all missed. Jess showed up beside her and shot at the man as well, but her bullets impacted nothing but rocks and shrubs.

"SHIT BISCUITS!" cursed Jess. "C-c'mon, Lexi, let's get in my-!"

Looking at her pink sports car in the distance, Jess noticed that all of her tires were flat, slashed open with a knife.

She growled in frustration, her face turning red as she realized that it was most likely this sneaky biker that had done the deed while she was busy with the other men.

"YOU'RE PAYING THE REPAIR COSTS FOR THAT, YOU DICK!"

"Wait, Jess! We can use one of the dead guys' rides! Over here!"

Alexia pointed her friend to a row of motorcycles, all belonging to the meth-producing bikers they had killed.

Without hesitation, they jumped onto one, Jess taking the drivers' seat and Alexia sitting behind her.

Jess quickly hotwired the vehicle, a skill she had picked up from her long and varied criminal career. With her friend in tow and ready to shoot at anyone who followed them, Jess mashed the gas in pursuit of the biker carrying their meth.

The bike soared down the dirt road that encircled the southern base of Chiliad, running along the northern banks of the Alamo Sea. Towards the end of the dirt road was none other than the Lost's homebase in Blaine County, an area known affectionately as 'Stab City'. They could assume that this was where their target was heading. If he made it there, more bikers than they could handle would assist the man in securing the drugs, making it impossible to retrieve the drugs for Trevor.

"I think it's about time I trigger those explosives!" said Jess enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I think we're far enough away! Go ahead, Jess!"

"Far enough away to watch the fireworks!"

Jess pressed a remote that she kept in her pocket. An earth-shattering boom followed, which loosened rocks from the cliffs surrounding them and seemed to make the ground shake beneath the bike's wheels.

Alexia looked back upon the enormous mushroom cloud that formed over the lake, raining down debris upon the surrounding waters.

"HOLY SHIT!" screamed Alexia, marveling at the impressively large and destructive cloud.

"Whoo! I did good, didn't I Lexi?!" Jess smiled as she looked in the rearview mirror at the destruction she had caused.

"You're telling me, man!...H-hey Jess, look! Someone's up ahead!"

Jess revved the engine, eventually coming to see another cloud of dust in the distance.

"I think that's our man!"

"Yeah, looks like it!" said Alexia as she reloaded. "Just get close and I'll shoot him off!"

"Got it!...If it's okay with you, I'm gonna take a shortcut!"

"Whatever helps us get close, I guess!"

"Alrighty then!"

Grinning devilishly, Jess advanced at full speed toward the shoulder of the road, where a jagged piece of rock created a miniature ramp that bypassed a curve in the road up ahead, passing over a steep drop beside the lakeside.

"W-wait, wait, not that kind of shortcut!" shouted Alexia.

"Too late, you consented!"

Jess flew off the cliff at an incredible speed, Alexia screaming as they sailed through the air and holding on tightly to her friend's body.

The bike landed back on the road, much closer to the biker.

"YEE-YEE-YEE!" shouted Jess gleefully. "Think you're close enough now, Lex?"

"Y-yeah, yeah, this should be close enough," she replied shakily.

She took careful aim before unleashing several rounds upon the fleeing biker. Unfortunately, the man swerved so much and kicked up so much dust that it was difficult for her to get a decent shot at him.

"This fucker is slippery!" commented Jess.

That said, she withdrew her secondary weapon, a micro-submachine gun, and joined Alexia in firing at the bike.

Eventually, one of their bullets hit, and the biker slumped over before tumbling violently off of the speeding bike. His mangled body was deposited on the side of the dirt road.

"Man, who made that shot?" asked Alexia.

"Does it really matter?"

Alexia thought about this for a moment, under Jess's scrutinizing gaze.

"N-no, I guess it doesn't."

"Exactly, 'cause we're a team, girlfriend! Gimme some!"

As the bike cruised to a stop beside the motionless biker, Alexia and Jess performed a quick, abbreviated version of their secret handshake, minus the thigh bump at the end.

Jess dismounted the bike and walked over to where the man lay in the road. She kicked him over, revealing a patchwork of blood and dirt on the face of a still-breathing biker.

"Yikes," she laughed. "Thought you'd snapped your neck and died for sure there, man. Now, let's just see what we got here..."

Jess rummaged around in the living man's pockets. He was powerless to stop her, as he found himself completely paralyzed and in immense pain from the fall.

"Ah...here we go," she proclaimed as she withdrew the meth. "We got the stuff, Lexi!"

"Alright, perfect! Now let's get the hell outta here, man!"

"Sure thing, bestest pal!"

She looked down at the man one last time, who took deep, heaving breaths and looked intensely at her, but she could not tell whether it was in condescension or pleading for life.

Jess rolled her eyes, withdrawing her machine gun.

"Fuck, I guess I gotta put you out of your misery...Say hi to Corey Haim for me."

Alexia watched as Jess brutally shot the biker between the eyes, his muscles retracting one last time before he died.

She was marked by Jess's complete lack of emotion toward the situation, shooting a defenseless man in the head without so much as a single guilty thought.

Jess withdrew her gun and, as gracefully as ever, walked back over to the bike and accelerated down the road.

"Alright, well that was an adventure," Jess remarked.

"Yeah. Albeit a pretty painful one this time around," said Alexia, holding a hand to her throbbing temple.

"Ah, superficial wounds, Lexi. Is to be expected when diving into the unknown as hard as we do."

Jess looked down at the gash in her arm, which had since stopped bleeding as heavily.

"Like, I get cool scars like this all the time. I'm just waiting for the day when I get a really cool one, like, across my eye. That'd be so fucking badass."

"Jess, no need to ruin your face like that. You're beautiful."

"Ruin? Heh, that'd probably enhance my status with guys. Criminals dig chicks with attractive scars...But y'know, I can't do it myself. I gotta procure it in battle somehow."

"So just hope that someone shoots you in the face?"

"No, not hope. It's gotta happen naturally. Otherwise, I'll just be a poser."

"Yeah, well...I'll stick to the standard concussions and cuts from now on."

"Suit yourself, Lexi," Jess shrugged. "We'll go to the compound and get ourselves bandaged up after meeting with Trevor."

"Aghh, l-let's...make it quick okay?" groaned Alexia. "I'm feeling like I'm gonna black out again..."

"Got it. Madwoman driving, coming up."

Jess revved the engine, doing well over the speed limit on Route 68, which cut through miles of barren desert south of the Alamo Sea. Alexia held on tightly to her friend, fearing that she might lapse into unconsciousness at any moment and fall into the road. To prevent this, she secured her arms over Jess's shoulders and hooked them under her arms, which would ensure her noticing if she were to black out.

Finally, they reached the town of Sandy Shores and Trevor's decrepit trailer. The man himself was not there to meet him, but rather his loyal assistant from earlier.

"I felt the explosion from here!" shouted Ron. "Just as Trevor wanted! Great work, you two!"

"Ah, it's nothing," said Jess with a wave of her hand. "Here's that, uh...package you ordered."

Jess tossed the manila package over to on, who fumbled before catching it.

"Ah yes, the package! Boss will be very happy to hear it was delivered safely."

With eyes looking out for any authorities, he went up to Jess and deposited a handy amount of cash into her hand.

"I know an amount wasn't in question when you headed out, but we here at Trevor Philips Enterprise believe that employees be compensated fully for their work. We even added a bonus, for a job well-done."

"Aw, thank you, Ralph," Jess smiled at him.

"Uhh, it's Ron," he laughed. "Trevor was too busy to come and collect the package himself. He's the head of a successful business collective, you see. But at the same time, he's not afraid to go out and handle all the transactions, deliveries, and forceful acquisitions. But still, we do appreciate the help, you two...What's wrong with your friend back there?"

Jess looked back at her friend, who was leaning against her back, completely unconscious once again.

"Oh, uh...she had a bit of head trauma. I'm gonna take her to our compound, get her checked out."

"Good idea, but...on that thing, all the way to Los Santos?"

"Aw shit..." she realized, upon visualizing the terrifying thought of Alexia falling off of the bike on the interstate. "...Hey, I got an idea. You still got that rope you used to tie us up with?"

"Uhh, I think so. Hold on."

Ron re-entered the trailer and came back with two severed pieces of rope. Jess took these and used them to secure Alexia's limp arms around her waist, tying her hands together. She then wrapped another rope around her and Alexia's waists, ensuring that she wouldn't tumble off on the journey back.

"...Hardest part'll probably be explaining this to her when she wakes up," Jess said with a laugh.

"Well, I wish you luck with that...Drive safe, you two."

Jess waved goodbye as Ron entered his trailer, still looking out for any government spies as he entered.

At the same time, Alexia awoke from her blackout, finding herself tied up for the second time that day.

"...Jess, what the-?"

"Don't worry, it's just a precaution," laughed Jess. "Didn't want you falling off this thing."

Alexia sighed.

"Well, this is pretty embarrassing, but...thanks anyway."

"No problem, Lex. Now, let's get us both to the compound."

"Yeah, p-please do. My head is fucking killing me..."

Alexia rubbed her forehead into Jess's back in an attempt to stop the pain. With a smile, Jess revved up the engine once again and started the long journey back to Los Santos.


	25. The Skulls Push Back

**Hello and welcome back, everyone, to another installment of this story. I hope everyone's been doing well, be it in your studies, your work, or your works of fiction. Hopefully, no one blames this story for predicting Hugh Hefner's death (seriously though, I had nothing to do with that _).**

 **Well anyway, I must concede that this chapter is more of a foreword, an introduction - albeit for a cacophony of complete madness to follow. And that's...really all I can reveal without spoilers, so your prying eyes will have to scroll down if you want more info.**

 **So uh, yeah. Hard to believe that I've been updating this for two years straight now, but here we are about 200,000 words later. I'm not sure if I should be proud or terrified, to be honest...But** **either way, reader, I just implore you to relax, take a load off, grab some popcorn, and enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Alexia proceeded carefully along the barely-lit corridors, practically having to feel her way around in order not to run into the walls. Her uncle had called her up here to attend a meeting with his league of commissioners, the highest-ranking Black Skulls who helped him in running the crew. She was personally honored to be asked to this meeting as such a low rank. She did not particularly think that her relation to Remus was the primary factor in her invitation either; rather, it was the commendable work that she had been doing over the past few weeks that had earned her an invitation to this meeting.

For the past few days, however, she had not been nearly as active in these fields as she normally was, due to her lingering head injury that still brought pain akin to blistering migraines. She had been confined to her couch during this time while she waited for these grating headaches to subside, during which she primarily watched television and ate copious amounts of sweets, on the recommendation of Jess.

Since it was so hard for her to abstain from work for this long, she also spent time cleaning her arsenal of weapons, making sure they worked properly and were supplied with plenty of ammunition. She also spent time listening to police chatter over a scanner app. Her main objective in doing this was seeing what types of cases the LSPD normally responded to, and to see how long it took for them to respond to these situations. As she expected, most calls were rather boring: domestic violence and some petty burglaries. However, a couple of homicide calls also came through, and Alexia was surprised at how slow the response was to these incidences, which had occurred in the low-income neighborhoods in South Central Los Santos.

She also took the time to do some research on the FIB, or at least attempted to. Whatever search results there were about corruption within its ranks were muddled by conspiracy theories about snake-headed aliens and the 'new world order'. However, she did come to notice that the FIB, in its annual fiscal year budget request, had lobbied Congress for a whopping $13 billion allocated to their agency's counterterrorism efforts. And, if what she read on the conspiracy forums was true, not only were Agent Steve Haines and several others under the influence of aliens, they were also on the payrolls of a number of wealthy businessmen, including the eccentric billionaire investor Devin Weston.

While obviously corrupt, the FIB had an agenda that went against the Skulls and aligned with the Roses' path to victory, as evidenced by a disproportionate crackdown on Black Skull activity, including raiding Skull warehouses while turning a blind eye to those owned by the Roses.

These findings left Alexia frustrated, wondering how the Skulls could possibly rebuild their ranks with a federal agency breathing down their necks. Their only hope to defeat the government rested in none other than the government itself: the IAA, the FIB's sister agency, had become embroiled in a funding war with the FIB, which had so far entailed everything besides open fighting in the streets. Instead, it had been a war of words and covert cyberattacks, after it had been announced that funding for both agencies had been cut due to a decrease in terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.

While she tried not to become too attached to fringe conspiracy sites, Alexia had found several theories suggesting that a number of recent attacks and mass killings were in fact perpetrated by the FIB and IAA in an attempt to make the public fear terrorism once again, which would lead to their funding being restored and possibly even raised above its former level.

While this was a scenario that would make sense, Alexia knew that this could not be proven without actually making contact with the agency itself, which she hoped her uncle would be detailing during the meeting.

Standing outside the door to a conference room adjacent to her uncle's office, Alexia took a few deep breaths, trying to quell her persistent nerves and irrational fears.

She opened the door, to be greeted by several men at a long table, all veteran members of the Skulls. At the head of the table sat her uncle, who loomed over the congregation with his tall, dark presence. Nonetheless, he greeted his niece with a friendly nod of his head.

"Hello, Alexia."

"..Hey, Uncle," she smiled. "So, uh, these are all your commissioners?"

"Yes. Everyone, you all know my niece, Alexia."

The men greeted her with enthusiasm and smiles, which caused her to subconsciously blush.

Among the amiable men was her own boyfriend, who she had not seen in what seemed like forever.

She waved at Damien, and he did the same.

"...Well, I'm glad you could make it on such short notice. Go ahead and take a seat."

Alexia immediately gravitated toward her significant other, who had saved a seat for her in advance. She gratefully took this seat, before they both embraced in a tight hug.

"Shit, it's uh...been a while, hasn't it?" said Damien with a laugh.

"You're telling me, you big lug," she laughed.

She snuggled her head into the crook of her boyfriend's arm, elated to be able to see him again.

Alexia sighed, looking up into Damien's gaze before they both shared in a kiss.

Their lips separated, and Alexia soon came to realize that many pairs of eyes had just seen her passionate act.

Her face turned red as she attempted to explain herself.

"Heh, that's quite a girl you got under your arm, D-Man," said one Skull.

"Yeah, uh, really, I'm okay with you two makin' out-"

The other Skull stomped on this Skull's foot under the table, causing him to recoil in pain.

Alexia turned to her uncle, mortified upon realizing that he too had seen her kiss. Under the strain of not having seen her boyfriend for so long, she had temporarily forgotten that he was even in the room.

"...Uncle, I-"

"No need to explain to me, Alexia. As far as I'm concerned, the affairs of your private life are really none of my business...Just try to keep any...public displays to a minimum, this is a business conference after all."

"Y-yeah, sorry. Won't happen again..."

Alexia brushed her hair nervously, which was met by laughter from the other Skulls.

Damien, however, discreetly grabbed her gloved hand under the table, which had an immediate calming effect on her. She blushed once again, smiling at her beloved Damien.

At that moment, Jess burst into the room, carrying a folder in her hands. Uncharacteristically for her, she donned a women's business suit and a matching miniskirt. She even had on a pair of eyeglasses which, together with her hair, made her look completely different than the ditzy blonde Alexia was used to.

"Jessamine," Remus greeted her emotionlessly. "Glad you made it, we were just about to start."

"Yeahh, sorry boss. Traffic on the Olympic Freeway is no joke. See, I'm not even gonna make some risqué joke about it, it was so bad."

"Yes, well, I'm glad I don't get out more often then," opined Remus, clearing his throat.

"Hey Jess, what happened, man?" laughed one Skull. "You get hired by a law firm or somethin'?"

"Yeah, by the firm of Anderson, Floyd, and Go-Fuck-Yourself."

The room erupted in laughter as Jess made her way to her seat, and Alexia again recognized her as her sometimes-crude but goodhearted best pal.

She smiled at Alexia as she took a seat beside her, setting what looked like a briefcase on her lap.

"Hey Lexi, you feeling better?"

"Yeah, a lot better. Y'know, you were right, sweets really do help to numb the headaches."

"See, Damien?" said Jess, smiling smugly. "At least someone appreciates the power of sweet foods."

"Yeah, but...y'know what feels really good?" he opined. "When you get out of bed, and you do a hundred push-ups. Feels fuckin' epic."

"Ugh, believe me, I've tried doing your workout regimen before," Jess laughed. "I was sore for like 2 weeks afterward."

"Yeah, maybe at first," he said casually. "But a little hard work will always pay off in the end. Right, Lex?"

"I...I mean, I couldn't say. I'm not all...sexy and muscular, like you and Jess."

"Aww, muscular? I'm flattered, Lexi," Jess smirked.

"Alright, everyone," interrupted Remus. "Let's go ahead and begin, shall we? We have quite a lot to cover."

The Skulls shifted to silence, turning to their trusted leader.

"...Alright, well, I suppose I should start with a bit of personal business...Alexia, stand up please."

She did so, trying her best not to shrink down when everyone laid their eyes on her.

"...I'm sure you all are aware of the commendable work my niece has been doing, both for the crew and for her own contacts as well. She has proven herself these past few weeks as a responsible, perseverant, highly skilled young woman with a bright future ahead of her...And I'm not just saying this because I'm her uncle, her efforts have been appreciated by many during her time here. So, Alexia, I hereby promote you to the rank of Crew Representative, and bestow upon you all the benefits and responsibilities that come with this position. May you continue to give pride to the Skulls, to all of your brothers and sisters in arms."

The men around the table clapped, Damien even whistling for Alexia as she grinned shyly, her cheeks lighting up once again.

She sat back down, to be greeted by a tight bear hug from Jess.

"Congratulations, Lexi!" she squealed. "Oh you're gonna love being a Crew Rep! It's what I was before my most recent promotion."

"Yes, crew representatives are really the backbone of our organization," Remus continued. "They ensure that supplies run smoothly and efficiently between checkpoints and, as the name suggests, represent our crew during illegal transactions. And in addition, you will also be allowed to assist in raids we perform on police and rival gangs."

"Ah, okay. So I guess I'm officially, like...not a noob anymore?"

Her shyly-uttered response was met by laughter from the crew and a blank stare from Remus.

"I...don't know what that is. I'm guessing it's a millenial thing?...Well, anyway, congratulations, Alexia. May you thrive in this new role for our crew."

"...I won't let you down," she said firmly.

"I wasn't expecting anything less," her uncle nodded, smiling lightly. "...Well, anyway, onto the next thing...Jessamine, please stand."

"S-sure thing, boss," said Jess with a nervous smile, rising out of her seat.

"I have invited Jessamine to our commissioner meeting because, for the past week, she has been on a heavy reconaissance mission inside the Rose compound...I, um, trust this mission went well, Jessamine?"

"O-ohh yeah, it went well. In fact, I got out so clean, I would say it even went too well, y'know, i-if that's even a-"

"Thank you, Jessamine," he said sternly.

"R-right, right, sorry," she said with a nervous laugh. "I'll shut up now."

At this point, she opened the folder she had been carrying, which contained an expansive, fold-out display of architectural blueprints, which she worked on unfolding and attaching to a presentation board behind her.

 _"So, you told her what all to say, right?"_ whispered Alexia to her boyfriend.

 _"Yeah, I taught her everything I know about the place. She seemed pretty confident when I left her house the other day."_

 _"Okay, good. I guess it's a good thing she has all those years of acting under her belt, huh?"_

 _"Oh, Jess is like...one of the best liars I've ever met. Makes her real valuable in undercover missions."_

"Allrightty then!" Jess exclaimed.

Alexia and Damien turned to the gigantic piece of paper she had set up, which spanned the entire wall behind her chair.

She cleared her throat loudly before starting.

"Gentlemen...and Lexi...You may have noticed that, for the past week or so, I have been absent from crew action. Well, my friends, that is because I have been in the belly of the beast...swallowed and then digested by its stomach acids, exposed to all its lurid horrors!"

She shouted these words dramatically, as if performing a Shakespearean soliloquy. Nonetheless, her fellow crewmates were captivated by her enthusiasm.

"...Yes, that is right," she continued, dramatically softer. "I have infiltrated none other...than the Roses of Deaths' compound...Masquerading as a rather posh mansion house in Paleto Bay, beneath its impressive façade is a cesspool of scum and villainy...which, by our standards, is really saying something. Alastor Mason uses this as his homebase, which he uses for the torture of innocents, planning of raids against our crew, the despicable rape of mistresses that he keeps in a personal harem, and...you guessed it... _cocktail parties with his friends_."

Her last point was growled menacingly, much to the confusion of everyone else.

"...Why do I emphasize this seemingly-innocuous point, you may ask?...Because this habit of his...is gonna be our way in."

Jess smiled devilishly, to much applause from her fellow crew members.

"...I managed to become familiar with Alastor over the past week," she lied with the tenacity of a pro. "So, he's since granted me with invitations to his latest social gathering. One for myself, as well as two guest passes. Therefore, we will not need to launch an all-out assault in order to blow the place up. Instead, us three can simply go in, place some explosive charges, and then get out before they go off."

"Us three?" asked Remus. "Explain, Jessamine."

"Oh, I meant to say me, Damien, and Alexia. Under the moniker 'Us Three'."

Alexia perked up on hearing her name, while Damien remained seated casually.

"Oh uh, sorry Lexi," Jess laughed. "I meant to tell you before drafting you into this."

"Yeah Jess, why me specifically?"

"Because we've...been undercover before, haven't we? And you handled yourself pretty well in that situation, despite some rather obvious setbacks. And I think you've fully demonstrated I can trust you with something like my life."

"Jess's cover story will fit best if us three are the ones to go," Damien spoke. "You'll see when you get there, Lex."

Alexia sighed.

"...Alright...I'll go undercover with you guys."

"Alright, road trip!" said Jess with a fist pump. "This'll be a great first mission for you, Crew Rep Alexia."

"So, uh, you gonna go over those blueprints of yours, Jess?" asked one of the Skulls at the table.

"O-oh right, those things I worked so hard to get. Yeah."

Jess laughed, even though she began to sound a bit nervous.

She cleared her throat to stem her anxiety before continuing.

"...Alright, so I've identified two points in the house where a C4 blast will compromise structural integrity, at these red X's here: one in the bathroom, one in the kitchen area. It'll take some sneakiness to plant charges in these areas discreetly, but I think we can do it."

"I see..." commented Remus. "And what about those other two X's, on bottom?"

"This demarcates the basement area, where the house's natural gas heating system is located. We plant some explosives there, the whole place'll go up in a big, awesome explosive cloud."

"Shit, anything to make those Rose bastards go up in flames sounds like a good plan to me."

A Skull commissioner said this with a bit of emotion, the memories of atrocities against Skulls still fresh in his mind.

Jess sympathized with the man, as she too remembered the Bahama Mamas massacre, where many of her friends had been murdered brutally by the Roses.

"...Don't worry, guys. We're gonna ensure that all our fallen brothers and sisters are avenged. Just like you said that one night, boss."

Remus nodded as his entire crew looked to their leader in anticipation.

"Indeed, Jessamine...Because, as we all know, we Skulls are ruthless. We do not rest until all our enemies have been conquered. This situation with the Roses is no different. In the past, we have gone up against such formidable foes as the Los Santos police department and the IGN crew, all of whom we bested in battle easily...To this day, the LSPD pays an annual tribute to me in order to prevent further raids on them...How many crews can say that their city's police force are so afraid that they pay them to stay away from them?"

"...No other crew can say that."

The crew all looked to Alexia, who smiled in determination.

"...The Skulls are special. We're way more powerful than any one organization is supposed to be. In a way...we're the giant behemoth sleeping underneath this city. People might take potshots at us or try to drive us away, but...that only makes us stronger...Most just try to placate us, to prevent the carnage that will surely follow if the sleeping giant is woken."

The crew members nodded in agreement, and even Remus looked immensely proud of his niece through his stone-cold eyes.

"Well said, Alexia," commented one of the commissioners.

"Do not fuck with the sleeping giant," agreed another.

Alexia opened her mouth to agree, but found herself suddenly gripped by the familiar feelings of anxiety that had plagued her throughout her life. She suddenly took notice of everyone staring at her, causing her to shrink back immensely from the other Skulls, her face rapidly turning red in embarrassment.

As to how she had concocted her heartful statement in the first place, she had no clue. She could only feel the resulting anxiety afterwards as everyone looked at her for another statement.

Suddenly, the stuttering, panic-ridden girl felt another warmth clutch her hand; that of Damien, who smiled proudly, even though he was the only Skull not directly looking at her. A wave of relieving calm suddenly overcame her, as having her boyfriend near equivocated to her feeling immensely safer, even under the duress of public speaking.

She took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing.

"Yeah...don't fuck with the sleeping giant. Or we'll fuck you up even worse."

"Hell yeah!"

A serenade of applause greeted Alexia, who resigned back to leaning forward and looking toward her feet.

Remus did not go so far as clapping for his niece, but simply closed his eyes and nodded to signal his approval.

Another guest at the table, meanwhile, audibly applauded her, clapping his hands loudly.

"Hahaha, well said," he answered in a mysterious manner. "Well said indeed. The amount of faith you put in your crew, it's commendable. I can appreciate that."

"Uh..." stated a confused Black Skull who looked warily at the man. "...Hey boss, who's this guy?"

Alexia suddenly looked upon the man, who was seemingly unknown to all of the other commissioners.

Remus sighed heavily, as if he was annoyed by the stranger.

"...I guess I'd better go ahead and introduce our third and final guest for this meeting. I would like you all to meet Agent 14, my contact from the IAA."

"The IAA?!" exclaimed one of the Skulls. "The fuckin' government?!"

The Skull promptly stood up and drew his pistol, and Agent 14 did the same.

"You're telling me we're just gonna let them in on our meetings now?! Are you serious?!"

"Calm down," said Agent 14 sternly.

"Ohh yeah buddy, I'll calm down, once I shoot you in the fuckin'-!"

"Reese, that's enough!"

Remus shouted at his crewmate, his wrinkled face livid with anger.

"...Look boss, you know I've stuck with you through thick and thin, no matter what steps you took to preserve the crew! But...inviting G-men to our top-secret briefings?"

"This is no G-man. He's committed way too many crimes for that label to apply to him."

"You can call me a...special operative," said the stranger snarkily. "But my desk at the IAA is more of my day job. No, I much prefer to dabble in the city underground, that's where all the fun stuff happens."

"Oh, you think you're funny, wiseass?" snarled Reese. "Because I'd lay down my fuckin' life for this crew, so don't think I wouldn't personally cap any tool like you to protect all my brothers."

"I don't doubt that," said the agent calmly. "But such a sacrifice would be in vain, I'm afraid. Because...when you deal with the criminal underground as long as I have, you learn to choose sides. And, seeing as the Roses of Death are allied with my agency's bitter rival, we have decided to help out your struggling crew...So put the gun down."

Reese looked around at his crew members observing the scene, some with their hands hovering over their holsters in the event that a shootout did occur. Remus continued to glare coldly, as if he was simply annoyed that one of his commissioners was acting so rashly.

He begrudgingly pocketed his weapon, and Agent 14 did the same before they both sat.

"...Well, now that the nice warm welcome's out of the way, let's talk some logistics."

The agent gave off a shark-toothed smile, which Alexia couldn't help but to distrust in any government official.

Damien squinted at the man, hesitant to trust him as well.

"...Hold up, Agent 14?" he asked. "That's your name?"

"It is not. But, for security reasons, it probably is best if I don't give you my name."

"Well, how do we know we can trust you then?"

A few of the Skulls mumbled in agreement, as they did not particularly care for this stranger either.

"...Everyone, I can assure you that Agent 14 poses no threat," said Remus. "I have been in contact with him for several weeks now, and he has given me valuable intel on some of the Roses' inner workings: the routes of their supply runs, what kind of weapons and fortifications they have. All things that can help us in the long run."

"Is that right?" spoke an unimpressed Skull. "Well, Agent Dick, care to tell us who betrayed us? Who caused this whole mess in the first place?"

"Yeah, that's what I wanna know!" shouted another. "We still haven't managed to catch this fuckin' guy! I wanna see his head bashed in!"

"I wanna rip off his eyelids!"

The Skulls voiced their dissent angrily around the table. Alexia remained in her seat, glancing nervously at the increasingly-hostile attitude toward Agent 14.

Remus held up a hand, and the shouting suddenly stopped. No one dared to make a sound at the command of their boss, who sat with a furrowed brow and eyes burning with anger.

"Trust me, I wish to do all those things and more to whoever it was that betrayed us," he confessed. "But you all have to realize that this...situation is far more complex than what meets the eye."

"That's right," nodded Agent 14. "I've, uh, shared this intel with your boss already, but I'll go ahead and tell it to you all as well...We have strong reason to believe that it was not strictly a Rose crew member who infiltrated the crew. Rather, the person in question is also a paid informant...for the FIB."

A collection of gasps and horrified shifting occurred among the gathered Skulls, who were quite wary of the government as it was. Knowing that their crew had been infiltrated by an agency without their knowing understandably struck fear into the hearts of the Skulls.

"...So, yeah," Agent 14 continued. "That undoubtedly makes this whole thing a lot more complicated and more dangerous as well. And unfortunately, there's more...I'm sure you all remember the assault on El Gordo lighthouse, how it was foiled so effortlessly by your opponents. That, coupled with the Roses' seamless knowledge of all of your drug warehouses, only corroborates my position..that it could only be someone with access to all the ins and outs of Skull strategy who could have given that intel to the Roses."

"...So you're saying...it was one of us commissioners?"

An air of incredible uneasiness began to manifest in the room, an acrid smoke filling the hearts of the Skulls with intense fear. They eyed each other suspiciously, knowing that one of them could very well be an imposter, a puppet of the government.

"...W-wait a minute, wait a minute," spoke another Skull. "What about Elena? She's the one who came up with that stupid-ass plan in the first place!"

"I've questioned Elena already, as I had thought of the possibility as well," said Remus. "Fortunately though, she checks out. And her phone and e-mail records contain no signs of collusion with the Roses."

"Yeah, and I really don't think Elena would do something like that," opined Alexia with a shake of her head.

"Ohh, don't be so naïve, Alexia!" shouted Reese. "Anyone can appear sincere while stabbing someone in the back...It just takes an especially evil fuckin' bastard to betray hundreds of people under the guise of helpin 'em."

The Skulls muttered their disagreement as they began to turn against Elena, who was not present in the meeting. Nonetheless, the Russian woman who had turned up out of the blue to help the Skulls was deriving great suspicion from the gathering of commissioners.

"H-hey, hold up, everyone," said Jess, trying to restore order. "Sure Elena's new here and all, but...you gotta remember she was hand-picked by the boss to lead us in our time of need. Now I'm not one of you commissioners, but I know enough that Mr. Knight does not make those kinds of decisions lightly. Wouldn't you all agree?"

The Skulls were silent for a moment, as was their leader, who looked deep in contemplation.

"Hell yeah I do...I trust whatever the boss thinks is in his best judgement."

At Damien's words, the Skulls nodded and looked back toward Remus in anticipation.

"...Gentlemen, I am a human being just like all of you. It is inevitable that I'm going to make mistakes. That my judgement is going to falter...And it is obvious that my judgement did indeed falter due to me allowing these wretches to infiltrate the crew. And for that...I sincerely apologize."

"Boss, this shit isn't really your fault," one of his commissioners tried to assure him. "We gotta share some of the blame as well. We should've vetted people more carefully before considering them for admission."

"While several factors are certainly at play, as leader of this crew, I have to be the one to take the blame...So, accordingly, I will try to atone for these lapses in judgement with all my heart and soul...That was my motivation for calling in Agent 14. If the Roses have the backing of an entire federal agency, then we only stand a chance at this if we do as well."

"Well said, Remus," smiled the agent. "The government's really not that bad. Well, that is if you ignore certain...W-well, the point is, we get stuff done. So, the IAA is going to use our plentiful resources to rebuild your battered crew...And we're gonna start by restoring your numbers."

"...What, like recruit new people?" asked Damien. "C'mon, the atmosphere's way too volatile for that right now."

"Trust me, the IAA is not gonna be running a hiring fair for the Skulls. I'll leave it to Remus here to conduct all the open interviews...No, what I propose doing is recruiting some people already familiar with the crew; former members that have gotten themselves, uh...entangled in the criminal justice system and as such, have been locked up in a secure penitentiary north of here."

"Holy shit, Bolingbroke Penitentiary?!" shouted Reese. "Y...y-you're fuckin' nuts, man! No one would be mad enough to break in there!"

"No one...except us."

The Skulls grew incredibly uneasy, especially so considering the high-tech security at Bolingbroke Penitentiary, where hundreds of Skulls were locked up for various crimes.

The agent glanced toward Alexia for a few moments, much to her confusion. He looked as if he had something he wanted to tell her, but he ultimately decided to save this for later.

"...Look, they might have the place locked up tight, but that's no reason to worry. Me and my colleagues have come up with a plan that will allow us to break into the prison and retrieve your incarcerated brothers with minimal casualties. In fact, if everything goes to plan, you won't even have to fire a shot."

"Without firing a shot?" answered a skeptical Skull. "...How do you propose we do that, morph through the fuckin' wall?"

"No, something better...We hit the prison twice. One team will be distracting the larger security forces and retrieving a certain high-value inmate for us in the process. With the facility's security forces focused on this breakout, the other team will have the momentous task of freeing all the two hundred or so Skulls in Bolingbroke. It'll be a big job, requiring high-level equipment and vehicles, but...I'm sure you can come up with those pretty easily."

"Yeah, we can source shit like that easy enough, no problem," said Damien. "What I'm wonderin' is...who in their right mind would want to infiltrate the most secure prison on the West Coast just as a distraction?"

"Oh I'm so glad you asked..."

Without warning, he turned to Damien's girlfriend. His shrewd gaze immediately made her feel small and insignificant, causing her to tremble in her seat.

Seeing the agent looking so callously at Alexia, Damien sat up, as if preparing to protect her.

"You..." he said, maintaining eye contact with her. "...You're the one who hit that bank, right? Pulled off that big dramatic getaway with the chopper on the freeway? I watched it on the news actually, was very entertained by the, uh...grandeur of it all."

With the entire crew laying eyes upon her once again, Alexia could not help but to revert back to indelible shyness and stuttering; her mouth turned dry, and she could barely produce words that were comprehensible to the agent questioning her.

"I...W-well, uh-"

"No need to play dumb here, kid, it was a rhetorical question. I know it was you."

Alexia sighed, becoming slightly annoyed by the agent's cocky manner.

"...Okay. Yeah, that was me. But...what's that have to do with any of this?"

"Look, the fact is that you executed a well-planned job, and got out clean, taking hundreds of thousands in profits with you...That's no easy feat. As a fellow criminal, I appreciate how clean you pulled it off; no names, no fingerprints, an untraceable getaway car..."

"Yeah yeah, I get it...No need to over-indulge. But, how exactly does robbing a bank compare to infiltrating a highly-fortified maximum security prison?"

"Well, the object of the gig's not too different. You get in, grab the asset, and get out...Only this time, it'll be human contraband you'll be retrieving and extracting safely."

"So, Agent 14..." Remus glowered, looking with a heavy gaze on the agent. "You're proposing that we put my niece into a one-sided firefight with several hundred well-armed police officers...just as a distraction?"

The Skulls looked with furrowed brows at the agent. With the level of respect they held for Alexia, their future leader, they were not exactly keen on her being thrust into such a seemingly suicidal mission.

"...Well, Remus, you just finished talking about how capable your niece was. So yeah, I think she'd be perfect for the job. She gets some of her friends together, infiltrates the facility, and causes enough of a racket to offset security while your incarcerated brothers in arms can walk out clean."

"You're putting my Lexi-poo in mortal danger?!" Jess exclaimed before grabbing hold of her friend and clasping her tightly to her chest. "Oh hella nah, that ain't happenin' buckaroo! I oughta-"

"Jess, let me go!" she shouted.

Surprised by her authoritative tone, Jess complied, allowing Alexia to sit up in her seat.

The agent grinned, as if pleased.

"Yeahh, I believe it's up to Alexia to decide for herself...So if you do wanna play ball, you'll be helping your crew in their efforts as well as helping yourself. Because the asset we're wanting you to acquire possesses valuable information, which will probably unlock a number of...lucrative opportunities in the near future. Whether you're interested is, of course, completely up to you."

"Look, Alexia, don't feel like you have to help us out," said a concerned Reese. "We can handle the security by ourselves if need be."

"That may be true," conceded the agent. "But you'd also likely sustain multiple casualties that I'm sure you know you can't afford right now."

"Alexia, don't listen to this fuckin' dickhead. We can-"

"Alright..."

Everyone looked to Alexia, who looked with heavy eyes and a burdensome conscious as she sat.

"...Alright, Agent 14...I'll do it."

The agent smirked.

"That's what I wanted to hear."

"On the condition," she continued. "...that I get to help out my friends in the undercover mission first."

Agent 14 shrugged.

"Fair enough...I don't anticipate our target going anywhere anytime soon. He's in solitary confinement, separated from the other prisoners because he's kinda...w-well, I'll tell you all the rest once I meet up with you to give you the details...In the meantime, you'll need to be recruiting some people. A minimum of 3 others should do it...So, uh, I guess I'll contact you soon then."

"Yeah, I guess so...I'll see you then."

Agent 14 nodded. He rose from his seat and walked with a calm gait out of Remus's meeting room, shutting the door gently behind him.

As soon as the government agent was out of earshot, the room erupted in concerned mumbling. The Skulls all looked tensely at Alexia, who sat looking down at her feet, double thinking just what she had gotten herself into.

"Lexi..." said Jess, whose eyes glistened over with fresh tears.

"Jess, it's gonna be alright. Really, I can-"

Without warning, Jess grabbed hold of her friend's waist and clasped her tightly, struggling to hold back full-on sobs in front of her crewmates.

All of the Skulls looked with somber eyes over at Alexia. All, that is, except for her uncle, who looked with his usual stern expression at his niece.

"...Well, Alexia, it would look like you have some preparations to do."

 _"Yeah, it would...appear that way, wouldn't it?"_

She struggled to choke the words out as Jess squeezed her, cutting off air flow to her lungs.

Damien calmly reached over and joined in on the hug. This caused Jess's iron grip to loosen somewhat, seeing as two lovers were embracing in front of her.

Eventually, she let go completely. Jess cupped her hands over her face as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Seeing this, Alexia gently pushed away from her boyfriend so that she could wrap a comforting arm around Jess, who was audibly crying through her hands.

"Jess, don't worry. It's gonna be fine, girl...You can help me out if you want to."

Jess sniffled.

"...R-really?"

"Hell yeah. For something of this scale, I'm gonna need someone I trust by my side...And I don't think I could do it without you."

This sentiment irked further tears from Jess, who resorted to leaning into her friend as she stroked her hair.

She took deep breaths to calm herself, sniffling away the last of her tears before turning to her friend.

"...Alright then, Lexi," she said with a tear-smudged smile. "Consider me to be your first recruit."

"And consider me number 2," said Damien, embracing Alexia around her waist. "I've got your back, Lex. Both of us do."

"Actually, Damien," interrupted Remus. "I have something else for you to look into. It's very important."

"Boss, can't it wait for a bit?" he asked. "Alexia's puttin' her life at stake here."

"I am aware of that, yes...But at the same time, this other job is pretty important. I wanted to wait until Agent 14 left because...w-well, here's the file, you can see for yourself."

He handed Damien a manila envelope, which he readily took before studying its contents. His eyes immediately went wide, but before Alexia could lean over and read what the file said, he closed the folder, storing it in his jacket.

"Shit...Well, in that case, I'll look into it for you, boss."

"I appreciate it, Damien...I apologize for springing it on you on such short notice, but I'm confident you can handle it."

"Now, h-hold on a second!" shouted Jess. "How's Alexia supposed to be doing this without-?!"

"Jess, it's okay, it's okay," she assured. "I know a couple of other people who can round out the four."

"I...! Oh yeah."

Jess shook her head, realizing her error. Alexia had told her about her two newest accomplices a few days earlier, the girl Noël along with the toughened Elena.

"...Oh man...We're gonna be forming a crew together, Lexi!" she said with a beaming smile. "Dude, it's gonna be so fucking epic!"

"You know it, girl," Alexia grinned. "So, I guess I'll contact Noël and Elena, tell 'em what's up and see if they can help."

"And in the meantime," said Remus. "We will be preparing for our end of the operation...I'll see if Agent 14 can help in sourcing some of the equipment...So, that will be all for this meeting. Thank you all for attending, and remember...Black Skulls until death."

"And forever in blood!" the congregation shouted simultaneously.

The crew members rose from their seats, some shaking hands with Remus before they left from the conference room.

Alexia approached her uncle, timid as ever despite the mountain of responsibility that had been thrust upon her.

Seeing as his niece wanted to talk, he diverted his attention to her, adjusting the brim of his hat.

"I..." she started, yet could not formulate the words without breaking out into more anxious perspiration.

"I understand, Alexia," he nodded. "You must be incredibly nervous...I really can't say I blame you. This is a lot for one person, even for you."

"Yeahh, I...Are you sure I can handle all of this? Like, getting a crew of four together, then somehow coming up with a plan to break into Bolingbroke Penitentiary? I-I mean, it just seems-"

"Agent 14 has told me he already has a plan set up for your crew to adhere to. Your job will just be to make sure all the necessary set-ups are performed, all the equipment is sourced and stored in a discrete location, and perhaps most importantly, making sure that your fellow crew-mates are as well-informed and motivated as you are. That is part of how you keep a crew together."

"So it's not about just, like, hiring a few lackies and paying them enough to follow orders?"

"Some crews are run like that, yes," Remus nodded. "Even the Skulls have tended to fall into that style in the past due to neglect on my part to see what's most important...But these crews are often the ones that become compromised and ultimately fail. Of course, people who ask too many questions and stick their noses where they don't belong, they present a problem...But crew members who are motivated only by greed and arrogance are the ones most likely to turn against their leader. In addition to the promise of wealth, your crewmates have to respect you as well."

"...Well, I respect you, Alexia," said Jess, wrapping an arm around her friend. "Seriously, you give me an order, I'll follow it like a dog. No questions asked."

"Yes, you and Jessamine have had ample time to gain each others' respect...However, I haven't heard from Noël in weeks, and Elena is...well, let's just say she chooses her partners VERY carefully. Whatever opportunities may come up, the crew will always come first for her."

"Got it," said Alexia. "So, I'll just have to sell her on the point that this is for the crew and not just, y'know, for my own personal gain."

"Precisely," agreed a pleased Remus. "...Hmm, I can...certainly tell you're no stranger to negotiations now."

Alexia blushed, realizing for the first time how professional and tough she tended to sound whenever she talked about something important. It made her feel as if she was integrating into the life after all, despite her fears that she would be unable to do so.

Nonetheless, the girl still carried such a shy, reserved personality, despite the stark changes that had transformed her formerly bleak and uneventful life into one of excitement and murder. She, of course, resented how meek she appeared to others, and hoped that she would be more of a regular hardened criminal by the time she was leading the crew.

"...Well, I'm...glad you think so, uncle."

"Don't mention it, Alexia...Now, you should get going. Damien and Jessamine seem as if they want your attention."

Alexia did so, bidding her uncle goodbye before she left from his presence, leaving him to reflect on the situation in his dark penthouse.

On the way back to the elevator, Damien came up behind Alexia, putting an arm around her waist.

"So, uh, I guess I should tell you some shit about the undercover mission."

"Yeahh, please enlighten me, loyal boyfriend."

"Well, we're gonna be attending a party," stated Jess. "So be sure to wear like a nice dress or something. I know how much you like to wear those."

"Hey, I told you to keep that a secret!"

Alexia grimaced, which roused laughter from Jess.

"Don't worry, girl. Everything goes to plan, this'll turn out lots better than the last couple parties we've attended."

"Yeah, I hope so...For some reason, whatever party we go to, death and destruction always follows."

"I know, it's weird as shit," agreed Jess. "...But hopefully, we'll be able to enjoy ourselves on Alastor's dime, knowing that his place is gonna go up in flames."

"The rat bastard deserves more than that," lamented Damien. "Unfortunately though, he's not gonna be there in person. So we'll just have to make do with killing his friends for now."

"Aw man, that majorly sucks!" grumbled Jess, stomping the ground. "What kind of host is he anyway, to not attend his own freaking party?"

"I dunno, but it tells us he might be plannin' something big...So we'll need to remain vigilant in the coming weeks...But for now though, we'll meet up at my place and get all dressed up, then head out to Paleto Bay from there."

"Paleto Bay?" asked Alexia. "...I don't think I've even been there before."

"That's not surprising. Paleto Bay's on the far northern coast, on the other side of Chiliad. And it takes a few hours at least to get there, so not many L.S. criminals are really willing to do their business that far out."

"But still, it makes for a nice getaway from the big city," added Jess. "The low crime rate and corrupt police force makes it a good hiding spot for crime bosses on vacation. Alastor Mason being one of them."

"And there's all sorts of rumors about some organizations having like...these big underground bunkers up there, where they craft all these experimental weapons and vehicles. But, we haven't been able to confirm any of it."

"Seriously?" laughed Jess. "Underground bunkers? What is this, a bad spy movie or something?"

"Well, it's rumored that during the Cold War, Paleto Bay was under a supposed threat of nuclear submarines from Russia. Accordingly, the government built all these bunkers underground to store all their tanks and scientific research so that they'd survive Armageddon. And, since the Roses have government connections now, wouldn't it be plausible for them to have bought one of these bunkers from the feds?"

"Yeah, I guess," said Alexia. "But...the chances of such bunkers remaining classified for that long is pretty slim, don't you think?"

"Yeah, Damien," snickered Jess. "Next you're gonna be telling us that there's UFOs on Mount Chiliad."

"Hey man, I saw one myself!" he said seriously, ushering more giggles from Jess. "Seriously, those shits are more real than you'd think."

"Well, aliens or not," Alexia interjected. "This whole thing goes to plan, it'll be sure to send a clear message to these punks."

"Hell yeah, girl," sounded Jess. "And that message is...'The sleeping giant has awoken. And HE. IS. PISSED."

Alexia laughed at her friend's errant dramatacism.

"Y'know, come to think of it, that's quite a rallying cry I came up with."

"It really is though. You're...surprisingly good at rallying people behind you, Lexi."

"Yeah, when she wants to be at least," smirked Damien.

Alexia smiled as Damien embraced her, planting a kiss onto her forehead. She was quick to return the favor, touching her lips to his stubbled chin, before they both shared in a romantic smooch.

Jess remained silent, smiling that her timid friend had found love with Damien, who she knew to be immensely responsible and faithful, always attentive to his significant other. She could not say the same for many of her other exes.

Their lips parted, Alexia blushing heavily, before she looked around at the elevator they had entered. Even though it was only Jess in the space with them, she could not help but feel that her passionate act with Damien was taboo in nature, despite how good it might have felt.

"Oh God...Dude, are we really one of THOSE couples now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, the ones that always make out in public all disgustingly. I-I don't want us to be that couple."

"Shit, you're right..." said Damien, who suddenly realized the gravity of her lamentation. "...O-okay then, I guess I'm in favor of saving all the smooching for more private spaces."

"Yeah...erm, sorry you had to see that, Jess."

"Heh, are you kidding?" she grinned. "I have no aversion to public makings-out, or even the occasional love-making in the park. Damien could tell you that much."

"Yeah..." he smiled, sounding heavily embarrassed. "I-it was totally her idea though."

"What?" she laughed. "You told me that was always one of your fantasies, doing it in public."

"Yeah, see that's the key word though: 'fantasies'...Was never meant to be actually acted upon."

"But it felt so good though-"

"O-okay, I'll have to stop you there, Jess," said Alexia. "Before this starts getting, like, super weird."

"Oh uh, sorry Lexi," she chuckled. "I-I wasn't really thinking."

"Yeahhh, okay. Well, I gotta get going. I'll see you two weirdoes tonight."

Alexia parted from her friends, crossing the dilapidated lobby of the Black Skull compound.

"Bye, Lexi!" shouted Jess. "I hope to see you in a really sexy dress tonight!"

Alexia waved goodbye before exiting the building, leaving Jess and Damien in the midst of unbearably awkward silence.

Jess attempted a smile to lighten the atmosphere, but Damien nonetheless looked at his former girlfriend with an air of repressed annoyance, one which she could easily sense in him.

She sighed, her eyes somber as she looked at Damien.

"Look, um...I'm sorry if that was too much to bring up."

"It's alright, Jess..."

"No really, I...I think you and Lexi make an awesome couple, and I don't have anything against your union. I just sometimes blurt stupid things out without thinking, y'know? I-I didn't-"

"Jess, c'mere."

Damien stepped forward and wrapped Jess in a warm hug. The stuttering and nervous girl couldn't help but to give in to this warm gesture, resting her head on his shoulder.

He petted her hair affectionately as she leaned into his embrace.

"...Just because I'm with Alexia doesn't mean I've stopped caring about you. You know that, right?"

"Y-yeah, I do...You always were good to me, Damien...Even when I didn't really deserve it..."

"Jess, you're an awesome lady. You really are...How've you been doing with, uh, getting clean?"

"Oh y'know, up and down," she attempted a laugh. "I mean, I still have the occasional night terrors and recurrent bouts of dope sickness, but I-I'm getting through it, y'know?"

"I figured you would..." he smiled, holding her tighter. "Once you kicked that garbage, I knew you'd just bounce back, like you always did."

"Ohh, you're too kind to me, Damien."

Jess chuckled once more, but Damien did not respond. Instead, the two looked at each other, each gazing into the faces that harbored memories of years ago, both shameful and nostalgic, horrifying and blissful, that they had shared together over their long and tumultuous relationship.

In an instant, these memories were pushed to the forefront of their collective consciousness. Metaphysical sparks flew in the air, threatening to manifest into a blazing inferno that would engulf them both in the passion they had once shared in one another's company.

Before some of these old fires could fully reignite, Damien pushed away from Jess, patting her innocently on the shoulder.

"Well, uh, take care of yourself, Jess...I'll see you tonight."

Jess nodded, forcing a smile as Damien left from her presence.

It was only after he left that she realized how close she had just come to doing something she would most certainly regret. She was thankful that Damien stopped when he did, before such an evil thing could manifest.

She took out her phone, gazing down at the picture that she had set as her lock screen, which was a silly selfie she had taken with Alexia. Namely, she was quite proud to have taken such a picture of her friend, who stuck out her tongue shyly to complement her friend's exaggerated duck face.

Words truly could not encompass how much Jess appreciated her friend. Therefore, anything that would hurt Alexia and drive a wedge in their friendship was something she wanted to avoid at all costs.

She sighed, pocketing her smartphone. Seeing another Skull approaching, Jess put on her best friendly smile before greeting the man with a solid fist bump. The two conversed for a few moments, even though Jess was not entirely present in the discussion. Instead, her worried conscience drifted elsewhere, specifically to realms involving Damien, Alexia, and herself in some sort of cliché criminal love triangle, a scenario which she hoped to abate.

The Skull departed, Jess mumbling him farewell. Realizing that she ought not to dwell too much on the subject, she headed out the door, forcing the bothersome thoughts to the periphery of her mind.


	26. From the Inside

**Salutations, everyone. I suppose I should start off this sort-of lengthy chapter with a couple of announcements.**

 **First of all, followers to this archive may have noticed that my friend, Pen Angram 13, has been writing an AU fanfic based on this story. I can't link to it here, but the fic is called 'The Next in Line: Reloaded'. I highly recommend that you go check him out because it's a fun little fic that he's written, I've really enjoyed it so far. He incorporates some of his own characters and ideas while still staying true to the original. That's clearly no easy feat, considering this story's length. You can find him on here, but his preferred stomping ground is on Archive of Our Own, where he's also published the story in its entirety. So I just suggest you give him a look, see all the magical things he's transposed into words.**

 **And secondly, yes I have heard of the new 'Doomsday Heists' update, even though I haven't played it myself yet. But as to whether I'll incorporate it into Lexi's forthcoming heist adventures, I must divulge some problems I see with that scenario. One: as with everything Rockstar puts out, the DLC features are pretty majorly overpriced, and we all know that Alexia is not a very rich girl at the moment. And two...flying Back to the Future cars? Really?...Sorry, I still haven't got past the ridiculousness of seeing that in the trailer. I sure they're fun to drive (fly? hover?) and all, but I'd just prefer to keep the story relatively grounded for now...Literally, in this case.**

 **That being said, will Alexia and her friends survive the infiltration of the Rose compound? Or will something go terribly wrong in the process? Be sure to find out in this latest installation of this riveting action-thriller presented to you by yours truly.**

* * *

The low rumble of the engine permeated the still night air, the headlights of Damien's truck casting light upon the desolate country road they traveled upon. Alexia gazed out the window at the rural landscape shrouded in an impenetrable shroud of darkness. The atmosphere bore a striking similarity to the strapless black dress she wore, which glittered with a dazzling array of sequins embroidered into the jet-black fabric. Alexia liked this dress, despite the fact that it showed off her shoulders and collarbones so callously. Damien, however, assured her that she looked beautiful, which was enough to comfort her in the meantime.

She sat next to her boyfriend, who donned a stiff formal tux, and in front of Jess, who sat in the back applying copious amounts of blush to her face.

The three friends sat mostly quiet, having embarked hours earlier from Damien's house in Vinewood Hills. As it stood, they would be entering the town of Paleto Bay shortly and embarking upon their dangerous undercover mission.

Alexia shifted uncomfortably in her seat, knowing how much was at stake and knowing the potential consequences if they failed in their endeavor. She held onto her boyfriend's arm, who smiled as he leaned closer to Alexia.

"...Hey, I know this is kind of a random thought." said Jess. "But...do you guys think that aliens will speak our language?"

"What prompted you to think that, Jess?" asked Alexia.

"Nothin', really. I'm just trying to break the silence, you know...I feel it's my responsibility, as the spontaneous blonde of the group."

Jess felt of her head and the wig that she had sat atop her short curls. To avoid possible identification, she had chosen a straight black hairpiece that reached her shoulders, obscuring any facet of her inherent blondeness.

"Well, if they've been observing us for a time, then yeah, I think they would know our language," spoke Damien.

"What if, like, all they knew was slang from the 50's or something?"

"Eek, don't even think that, Lexi," said Jess, squirming in disgust. "... _'Gee whillikers, Mr. President. That civilian population of yours looks hankering for a good anal probing, ho-ho!'_ "

Alexia doubled over, guffawing heavily.

Damien snickered as well, appreciating as always Jess's self-deprecating spontaneity.

"Well, I hope it doesn't come to that...So, uh, let's just focus our minds on the dangerous secret mission we're undertaking."

"Hey, speaking of secret missions..." stated Alexia. "What was that file my uncle gave to you, that made you look so spooked?"

"Agh, I wish I could tell you, Lex," sighed Damien. "I really do...Unfortunately though, if I told you right now, it'd most likely be putting you in serious danger."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, puzzled. "I put myself in danger every day, including right now with you guys."

"Yeah, but this is a different type of danger. It's...well, once it's done, I'm sure you'll hear all about it."

"...Can you give us a hint?" asked the girl in the back.

"No, Jess."

"Maybe just, like, the first letter?"

"I said no."

"Aww, c'mon!" she moaned, swooning comedicaly. "My curiosity's fucking killing me, man!"

"Well, hold it in," he snapped. "I'm not gonna let this affect you and Alexia. Just let me handle it."

The truck reverted back to silence, with Jess glancing uncomfortably out of her window.

Alexia stole a few glances at her boyfriend, whose face remained rigid with determination and, at the same time, a hint of worry about what exactly was to come, whatever that something happened to be.

Eventually, the truck came up to the winding driveway of the Rose compound, a posh cliffside mansion located on the northern outskirts of Paleto Bay. Its facade was quite impressive; spiraling towers, capped by witch-hat roofs, cut into the black night with harsh, razor-sharp corners, projecting its image over all who entered. This Gothic-style mansion, however, was painted in an obtuse shade of yellow, and bright lights shone upon mustard-colored walls to make it seem like a second Sun, which rose in the night and terrorized the tiny town it loomed over.

Simultaneously impressed and disgusted by the unsightly display, Damien parked in a distant corner of the driveway before shifting into park. He graciously opened the door for his two female guests before they headed towards the obscenely-hideous complex that housed the Roses' base of operations.

 _"Alright, just remember, guys,"_ whispered Damien. _"We play it cool."_

 _"Understood,"_ whispered Jess back.

 _"Yeah, we're just here to have a good time. That's what we wanna project."_

 _"Yeah, totally. We're definitely not the type to be whispering discretely to each other."_

 _"Is that supposed to be sarcasm?"_

 _"C'mon, Damien, it's me."_

"Heyy, Elijah!"

The trio turned to the bouncer manning the entrance, who gave a friendly smile and waved at Damien as if he recognized him. Damien waved back, as he had gotten to know this particular Rose crew member during his undercover stint in the compound.

The two grabbed hands and engaged in a brief masculine hug.

"Hey wassup, man, how you doing?" said Damien.

"Ah...on security beat for the evening. Tried to talk my way out of it, but the boss says we can't take no chances, what with the Skulls allegedly sniffin' around."

"Yeah well, you gotta do what you gotta do, y'know? At least, until those pricks start gettin' the message."

"Yeah, I guess...So, uh, just to honor formalities, let's see those invitations."

"You got it."

Damien promptly presented his invitation, and Jess and Alexia held up their guest passes for the bouncer to see.

The Rose seemed pleased, nodding to signal that he approved.

"Alright then, it's nice to meet you ladies. Elijah's been just braggin' relentlessly about his wife and daughter to us."

Alexia perked up, as Damien had not informed her that she and Jess would be masquerading as the supportive wife and daughter of Damien's persona.

For a moment, she found herself unsure of which role she was to play in this convoluted situation. However, upon glancing at the six-foot-tall girl towering over her scrawny form, Alexia could rightly guess which of the two she was expected to be. The realization caused her to subconsciously grimace.

"Why, uh yes I have," said Damien. "This is my wife Jasmine, and my teenage daughter Alexis."

"Nice to meet you, darling."

Jess spoke in a flawlessly-executed sultry accent, sticking out a hand delicately so that the Rose could shake it. Alexia, meanwhile, mumbled a greeting while avoiding eye contact with the guard.

"Alright, well you three have fun...and kid," he looked at Alexia. "You can have as much of the wine as you like. We don't judge, we're a bunch of criminals anyway."

Damien and the guard shared in a laugh as he escorted the two girls briskly inside.

The three immediately entered into an air of robust conversation and the aroma of rose petals that permeated the air to the point of nausea. Guests in fine attire, holding wine glasses and gigantic cigars, strolled about and socialized, giving the whole scene the tinge of some long-ago era, where this particular aristocracy was still prevalent.

However, Alexia knew well enough that these people did not garner their wealth legally. Among their ranks were some of the most prolific drug dealers, pimps, arms traffickers, and crime bosses in the state (or at least, those in good relations with the Roses). The sheer amount of crime present in one place caused her to wonder why Agent 14 did not want to infiltrate this gathering himself, and catch several of these notorious troublemakers at one time.

Jess coughed.

"Aw man, the air reeks of ill-gotten gains in here."

"Nah, I think that's just all the cigarillo smoke," opined Alexia.

"Or the Shalimar perfume. You take your pick."

"Don't worry, guys, we're not gonna be here long," said Damien. "How 'bout we split up and meet back here in 5 minutes."

"Aye aye, cap'n," Jess saluted him, smiling goofily. "C'mon, Lexi, let's you and me hit the bathroom."

"...Wait, why both of us?"

"Well, because we're girls!" said Jess. "It'd look suspicious if we _didn't_ go to the bathroom together."

"Hmm. O-okay, you have a point."

"I'll go scope out the kitchen while you two are at it," stated a shifty-eyed Damien. "Like I said, meet back here in five, okay?"

"Got it, Damie..." Alexia stopped herself. "...uh...dad."

"See you soon, sweeheart," said Damien in his best possible 'dad' voice.

The three parted, with Jess and Alexia heading out of the lobby and towards the western wing of the house, where a gender-inclusive restroom sat, as described in the blueprints.

Inside was a restroom equipped with two stalls as well as an accompanying urinal. Jess headed inside one of the stalls while Alexia stood out front, adjusting her hair in the mirror while simultaneously looking for anyone entering the restroom as Jess planted the bomb discreetly behind the toilet.

However, about 30 seconds, Jess still had not emerged, and her absence was accompanied by a cacophony of stomach rumbling and flatulence emanating from the stall.

"...You alright in there, Jess?" asked Alexia, breaking character since there was no one else in the room.

"Y-yeah I'm good, just...had a real bad burrito earlier."

A massive bowel movement seemed to occur, but not before Jess opened the stall, revealing a tape recorder she had specifically stocked with humorous farting noises.

Jess snickered at her own joke, even though Alexia was more confused than enlightened by her toilet humor.

"...Really?"

"Hey, when you're going undercover, my friend, you've got to cover all the bases."

She pocketed the tape recorder, washing her hands in the sink. Alexia checked out the stall that Jess had been in and saw the bomb, tucked delicately in a cranny behind the toilet, where no one could easily see it.

Nodding at Jess's handiwork, she turned out of the stall, to be met by a somewhat-morose Jess.

"Look, um...I hope you don't take offense to me playing Damien's wife in this. I-it was just a matter of practicality when we came up with it, I swear. Nothing more."

"It's fine, Jess...I get it, we just have to sell ourselves as different people."

"Exactly, man," smiled Jess. "The first thing they teach you in acting class; the roles you play are entirely separate from who you are in real life. For just one moment in time, you are a completely different person. So for just this one night, you can pretend I'm your mom."

"But we're about the same age."

"Pfft, that doesn't matter," she laughed. "It's all about looks. I could easily pass for an attractive woman in her early 30s, and you as my daughter, born out of wedlock when I was 15. B-but y'know what, I still love you, Alexis. Even if you were kind of an accident."

"Gee, thanks... _mom_ , that really means a lot."

"See, you're getting the hang of it!"

"Oh brother..." she sighed under her breath.

Alexia headed towards the bathroom exit, Jess following close behind.

They headed back out into the crowd, which continued to swell with ne'er-do-wells, until they found Damien, conversing with one of his 'friends' he had made while undercover.

Seeing Alexia and Jess approach, he ended the conversation with a manly hug before diverting his attention toward his girlfriend.

"All done?" he asked, trying to speak covertly.

"Good to go," smiled Alexia. "Our, uh...bathroom issues have been resolved."

"Yep, that was a satisfying bowel movement, if I do say so myself," said Jess, plainly enough that other party guests could hear and give her strange glances.

Alexia snickered, before turning back to Damien.

"So, uh, how'd you manage to do your thing without getting...?"

"Oh, uh don't worry, hon. I have my ways."

* * *

 **EARLIER...**

Damien peered cautiously around the entranceway to the kitchen area, where cooks labored over carefully-prepared hors d'oeuvres and slices of fine meat prepared for guests. Waiters shuffled back and forth between this busy atmosphere and the high-class party in the other room.

Seeing one of the waiters approaching, Damien quickly took cover behind the wall to avoid being spotted. The waiter passed by, too overburdened with food on his silver platter to notice anything.

Damien knew that if he wanted to get in, he had to impersonate one of the waiters, who were conveniently wearing the exact same style of tuxedo as him. Accordingly, he retrieved an item from his suit pocket, which he promptly placed upon his upper lip. This fake mustache would, he assumed, throw off any of the staff or guests from recognizing him.

Making his way into the kitchen, he tried to blend in as best he could, washing a plate in the sink and, in general, trying to appear as busy as everyone else.

When he was sure no one was looking at him, Damien expertly placed the explosive device behind a countertop, where no one would be sure to reach before the device was detonated.

"Hey..."

Damien froze. He whipped around to find another of the waiting staff, looking at him curiously.

"Dude, there's no time to be sittin' around watchin' the paint dry! We got piles of food to be taken out."

Breathing a sigh of relief that his cover had not been blown, Damien stood up, clearing his throat.

"Yep, erm, sorry boss," he said, in a voice several degrees gruffer than his own. "I-I'll get right to it."

"Yeesh, you ain't soundin' too good, buddy. You got a cold?"

"Uh...yeah," he said, pretending to cough. "Well, actually it's...oral chlamydia, boss. I got it real bad."

"Jesus, man! G-get the hell outta here!" said the man, obviously disgusted. "The fuck's wrong with you, bringin' that in here?"

"Y-yes sir, right away," he said quickly, exiting out of a side door.

"Good! Oh and don't worry, you won't be gettin' a paycheck for tonight, you fuckin' pervert!"

Damien left the kitchen, heading for a dark corner of the house that was not frequented by guests. There, he removed the fake mustache, storing the fuzzy disguise back in his lapel before casually rejoining the party.

* * *

"...O-okay, you'll have to let me wear that mustache later," said Jess intently.

"You can count on it, Jess."

"Aw, YES!" she shouted, fist-pumping with glee.

"First though, we gotta...y'know, finish what we started," said Alexia, trying her best to speak nonchalantly.

"That's right," affirmed Damien. "I've got the last two packages we need to deliver, so let's just scope out the scene for a bit."

Accordingly, the two girls followed Damien through the crowd, which continued to fester with the scum that Alastor Mason called his friends. The three tried their damnedest not to act out of place in this crowd of hostiles, avoiding eye contact or nondescript gaits whenever possible.

Eventually, they came across a waiter serving out expensive wines to patrons from a platter, free of charge to guests. Before they could pass him by, the astute staff member caught sight of the three, quickly offering them glasses.

Damien and Alexia thanked the waiter, taking glasses of the satin red liquid for themselves.

"Ooh, fancy wine? Don't mind if I..."

Jess stopped suddenly, remembering her commitment to staying sober that she had made over the past week. In the past, she had had many problems with drinking excessively, and she was not about to let this resurface, mere days after she had left rehab.

"...Um...Do you have any sparkling water?"

The waiter quickly produced a glass, handing it to Jess.

She quickly chugged her glass, while Damien and Alexia sipped their glasses of wine more carefully. After seeing this episode unfold and how Jess handled it so proficiently, Alexia moved closer to Jess, wrapping an arm about her waist.

"Good job, girl."

"Thanks, Lex..."

Jess sighed, leaning into her trusted friend. She took great solace in the fact that, no matter how hard she had to exert herself in order to stay clean, she knew that she could always count on Alexia to be there when she needed her.

Damien soon finished his wine, placing the empty glass on a counter. Instead of finishing hers, Alexia discretely emptied the rest of her wine into a potted plant, partially to show solidarity with Jess's abstinence crusade. Damien motioned fervently toward the two girls, directing their attention to their target area of interest, the entrance to the basement area.

This entrance, unfortunately, was guarded by a Rose thug, who leaned against the wooden door watching for any suspicious activity.

"Aw shit..." moaned Alexia. "Is that the only entrance?"

"Yeah, that's gonna have to be our way in," said Damien. "Maybe we can cause some sort of distraction, get him away from the door."

As Damien and Alexia looked around for anything that could be used to accomplish this goal, Jess put on a resolute face, gritting her teeth before stepping in front of her friends.

"...Don't worry, guys," she proclaimed. "You can let me handle this."

With this, she headed toward her intended target, a grand piano in the middle of a lavish sitting room, where a tuxedoed man was tapping out appropriately fancy tunes.

Alexia looked after her friend, concerned.

"W-wait, Jess, what are you gonna do?"

"Something that just has to be done."

She gave a deep sigh, as if preparing herself for something important. Then, she promptly zipped down the front of her dress, exposing a large portion of her chest.

After adjusting her breasts to make sure they appeared as prominent as possible, she ventured through the crowd, swaying her hips as she traversed the floor.

Alexia looked after her friend anxiously, but Damien did not seem to share her worries. Instead, he smiled slyly, as he knew that Jess was confident in what she was doing.

She reached the pianist, sitting down beside him on his bench. The man immediately took notice of Jess, who made sure to bat her eyelashes and flip her black wig for effect.

"Hey there, handsome," she addressed him in an overwhelmingly seductive tone. "You mind if I, uh...sit for a spell?"

"Oh uh, n-not at all, miss," the pianist replied in a heavy tremolo. "Go right ahead."

"'Preciate it, baby."

Grinning devilishly, Jess put her hand on top of the man's knuckles, which had begun to become rather sweaty. She massaged the man's hand with her fingernails, sending nervous spasms traveling down through his spine.

"...And uh, if you don't mind, would you let me play a song or two on this thing?"

"W-w-well..." he struggled to articulate. "I-I'm getting paid by the hour though-"

Jess turned abruptly, so that the man was staring right down the front of her dress.

"Aww come on, big boy," she cooed. "I've been practicing so very hard on this one song, I think you'll really like it."

"I-I...I...Well, I suppose so..."

"Ohh thank you, hon. And don't worry...I promise I'll be gentle."

She said these words in a seductive whisper before dismissing the piano player, who at this point was like putty in her hands. He quickly regressed to the back of the crowd to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Several of the Roses and other criminals present had witnessed the scene, and were slowly gathering around the piano; or more specifically, the immensely attractive woman who sat on the bench.

Jess cracked her knuckles, briefly deviating from her sultry character. Afterwards, though, she assumed a proper piano posture and began to play a Mozart composition on the keyed instrument. The piece was so beautifully played by Jess, whose fingers glided across the keys with the dexterity of a pro, that the rest of the guests were soon drawn in to hear her play.

Alexia stood there, astonished at how well Jess played. Damien, however, directed her attention to the basement door, where the guard had begun to notice what was transpiring.

"Hey man, Elijah's wife is pretty hot!" another Rose guard motioned to him. "You gotta come check this out."

"Dude, I'm on guard duty! The boss would kill me if I somehow let-"

"Fine, fine. More hotness for me then."

As his buddy walked off, the Rose muttered to himself for a few moments, as if deciding on whether or not the spectacle unfolding was really worth neglecting his duties. Ultimately, he decided to move closer, if only for a few moments.

Damien and Alexia, however, used these few moments to their advantage. They crept stealthily behind the guard and opened the conveniently-unlocked door.

Alexia shut the door gently behind them and, when they were sure no one had heard them, let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Whew...Thank God for the mysterious powers of seduction," joked Alexia.

"Yeah. I-I must say, Jess has mastered that particular craft."

"And a few others, it would look like," she said, still amazed by her amazing piano-playing.

"She is a pretty amazing lady. Like I said, she knows how to handle herself in these situations."

"Yeah, no kidding...Well, let's not waste the opportunity she's given us then."

"Right. Let's do this shit."

He handed one of the bombs to Alexia, and they both headed downstairs into the darkness of the basement.

Alexia used the flashlight on her phone to see in the cold blackness that surrounded her. With goosebumps forming on her bare arms, she looked around cautiously in the damp area, looking for anyone that might be waiting to pounce on her.

Suddenly, she came across a gleaming tank towards the back wall, which she soon recognized as her target, one of two natural gas heating pumps. Moonlight shone through a nearby window, practically the only source of light in the darkness, illuminating the tank as to clearly mark Alexia's objective.

She knelt down quickly, reaching her arms behind the flammable tank and securing the explosive there. Once she was sure that its sticky surface would not detach from the tank, she stood up, wiping a smear of dirt and grime from her knees.

"Aw sick!" she lamented quietly. "How long since this place has been cleaned?"

With a heavy sigh, she looked around at the surprisingly-derelict basement area. For such an upscale house, she wondered how they could let this area become so filthy. In fact, it looked as if no one had been down here, either to clean or do other things, in quite some time.

Alexia's eyes had somewhat adjusted to the darkness, allowing her to see more of her surroundings. Most of it consisted of typical basement furnishings, old shelves and discarded knick-knacks. However, she did come to notice a rack on a wall adjacent to her, which seemed to hold a litany of long, tail-like objects.

She walked closer, curiosity gnawing at her conscience, and was quite shocked to discover that this was a collection of whips, ranging from simple bullwhips to intricate cat-o-nine-tails with ornate carvings on the handles. Some even had objects like metal spikes or shards of glass embedded in the ends, ensuring that whoever was unlucky enough to receive a lash of the whip received as much damage as possible.

Thoroughly confused, Alexia backed away, not particularly wanting to know if the whips had been used on anyone. Perhaps Alastor Mason was just an avid collector, and never actually used them for nefarious purposes.

As she questioned this, a loud banging sounded like a gunshot beside her, causing her to muffle a startled yelp. She peered through the darkness to find a dark wooden door, behind which emanated these obvious knocking sounds.

 _"H-hello?"_ sounded a female voice. _"I-is someone out there?"_

Alexia found herself unsure if she should answer. Nonetheless, she remained by the door, listening as the woman started knocking again.

 _"...Please, whoever you are, you have to help us! We're prisoners!"_

Damien suddenly came over, having heard the knocks.

"The hell's going on?" he asked.

"There's people back here, Damien."

 _"Yes! Please, get us out of here!"_

"Hey, alright!" he shouted in a whisper. "Just keep your fucking voyice down, will ya'?"

The woman behind the door seemed to comply with his order. He sighed before trying to turn the handle, but the door was locked tight.

Alexia came up with an idea.

"Damien, wait here a minute..."

She scampered off to another area in the basement and brought back to her boyfriend a metallic object, which she had sourced among a pile of clutter.

"Here's a crowbar."

"Lex, you know how much noise prying this door open is gonna generate? I'm not risking the mission for-!"

 _"Look, I-I know you've got your own shit to deal with, alright?"_ said another female voice. _"But we've been locked in here for weeks, forced into Alastor Mason's personal harem! The things those bastards make us do...They beat us or worse if we even think of trying anything. So please...we promise not to get in your way or anything, just let us out first...All we want is to go home..."_

The girl behind the door's voice trembled with emotion, and it was obvious that she had started crying.

This was more than enough to tug at Alexia's malleable heartstrings. She felt immense empathy for the girls behind the iron door and, despite not even seeing their faces, wanted nothing else for them to be free.

She grabbed hold of Damien's hand, resolute in her goal to liberate the women.

"Damien, you get them out. I'll take care of the guard if he comes down here."

"Babe, are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, I'm sure...Look, I'll stay in cover behind those stairs and surprise him. No matter what, just focus on freeing those girls."

 _"Ohh...Oh man, thank you! Thank you!"_

"You can thank us when you're out, alright?" said Alexia. "Until then, just try and keep quiet."

"Lex, really, this isn't necessary-"

"Yes it is necessary!" she said sharply. "If we let them die, then we're just giving these Rose bastards yet another victory! If Alastor Mason really sees these girls as nothing but his personal sex toys, then it'll be the ultimate kick in the balls to show him that they're more than that. That they are human. fucking. beings!"

She could hear the girls mumbling in agreement, obviously pleased that she was standing up for them so prominently.

Damien, too, was impressed, despite his desire to complete the mission above all else. The ire in his girlfriend's pupils alone was enough, but her sound reasoning for wanting to free the girls caused him to cave in, cracking a smile to lighten the atmosphere a tad.

"...Goddamn, you are so fucking hot when you're angry. It's insane, Lex."

"Yeahh, if you say so," she said with a smirk. "Now if you don't mind, go ahead and show me what those muscles can do, big guy."

"Heh. Alright...alright, you got it."

He jammed the crowbar in with force, using it to pry the door off of its hinges. He grunted with immense effort, as the heavy wooden barrier was extremely heavy to move.

Alexia, meanwhile, moved to the stairs, ready to act out her plan. She reached a hand to her ear, where a tiny headset was hidden beneath her hair.

In the upstairs, virtually the entire party had encircled Jess's piano. She had begun playing a soft, trance-inducing rendition of Claire de Lune, much to the delight of the mostly male crowd who had gathered.

Her concentration was interrupted by a crackling in her own earpiece, signalling a change in radio frequencies.

 _"Yo, Jess,"_ sounded Alexia in a hushed voice. _"Look, don't reply to this, alright? There's just, uh...been a slight change of plans. What we need you to do is to make as much noise as humanly possible up there. Play a really loud song or something, just make sure that no one hears what we're doing down here. It's gonna be kinda noisy...Over."_

Jess was thoroughly confused; what was it that her friends were doing that was going to produce so much noise?

Nevertheless, being loud was undoubtedly one of her strong points. She stopped the soft classical piece, much to the confusion of everyone else.

"...Hey uh, just kidding! I got a new song! I think you guys'll like it!"

Taking a moment to think and position her hands over the appropriate keys, Jess produced a low power chord from the instrument, followed by three more in chromatic succession.

Soon enough, Jess's fingers moved in a furious whirlwind as she began to play "Master of Puppets" by Metallica. Several raucous cheers from the crowd went up, especially as Jess started to headbang and pound her hands forcefully onto the inappropriately-fancy instrument.

"...H-hey, you said you'd be gentle!" squeaked the piano player from the back of the crowd. "C'mon, I got a deposit on that piano!"

The man's objections were not even acknowledged, as several of the crowd members had started adding their own vocals to Jess's sweeping performance of the song.

This provided enough of a distraction for Damien to go to work on the door. The crowbar was struggling immensely under the weight of the door, but slowly and surely, the wooden edifice began to break free of its hinges with several tortured groans and squeals.

Alexia, meanwhile, was busy setting up a trap at the foot of the stairs. After grabbing one of Alastor Mason's whips from its display case, she had tied the end of the leather thong to the banister. The handle of the whip she held in her hand, and she would pull this so that the guard would trip over the rope as he descended the stairs.

Hopefully, this would result in him being knocked out. If not though, Alexia held an aluminum baseball bat in her other hand, one of the many random trinkets she had found among all the clutter.

She gripped the handle of the bat firmly, but not without a degree of trembling. After all, Alexia was not particularly known for her strength, or for her prowess in close-quarters combat.

Upstairs, the living area had become more like a moshpit than a fancy gathering. Guests bodyslammed each other, spilling wine onto the expensive carpet and occasionally breaking a piece of fancy glassware. Jess could not help but smirk devilishly, as the destruction caused by her rendition of a 1980's heavy metal epic would pale in comparison to the fire and fury that would soon engulf the house.

Meanwhile, the guard who had greeted Damien at the door had since joined the party, listening casually to Jess's proficient playing. As he was near the back of the crowd, he soon came to notice the noise that was emanating from behind the door to the basement, where he knew his boss kept his harem of attractive women.

Sensing that something was wrong, and seeing as the guard assigned to the door was headbanging with another party guest, the man entered, brandishing a flashlight to help him see in the darkness.

The sounds became much louder as he descended the stairs. And worst of all, the metallic screeches seemed to be coming from the door where the prisoners were held.

"Hey!" he shouted. "What's goin' on down here?"

Since he got no answer and the noise continued, he proceeded down the steps.

"...If you girls are tryin' something, there's gonna be hell to pay, you hear me?! I'll-"

The guard let out a startled yelp as he lost his footing and went tumbling down the few remaining stairs. In the process, the back of his skull collided with the concrete floor of the filthy basement.

Still conscious and groaning in pain, he turned to see the girl he had let in earlier spring out of cover behind the stairs. She growled furiously as she brought the bat down onto his face.

"Aghh, shit!" he groaned as she struck him several more times.

Teeth were knocked loose and blood spilled by Alexia's tirade. The guard tried to defend himself by grabbing hold of her bat, but she countered this with a swift kick to the groin with one of her heeled shoes.

The man held his hands to his crotch, in immense pain.

"A-Alexis, what the hell?!" he squeaked. "Wh...wh-what's your daddy gonna think about this?!"

"He's not my dad, asshole!" she declared, raising her bat once more. "HE'S MY FUCKING BOYFRIEND!"

The guard, immensely confused and frightened, was soon knocked unconscious by one more strike to his temple from Alexia's bat.

She took deep, heavy breaths, relishing in the moment before letting the bat drop to the floor.

Looking at the unconscious and bloodied man on the ground before her, she could feel nothing but acute disbelief in knowing that she was the one who had knocked him out.

"Damn..." said Damien as he came up beside her. "...Nice work, babe."

"Thanks...I-I guess."

"Y'know, I'm impressed. You knocked some dude that was way bigger than you out cold, all by yourself."

"I did, didn't I..." she said quietly, grinning with pride.

The normally scrawny and weak girl considered this a victory, especially considering the difficulty she had experienced before in defending herself from stronger enemies.

She wiped a few beads of sweat from her brow, wanting to act cool and collected now that the deed was done.

"Well, no need to scrutinize it now, I guess. Let's go and tie him up."

"Perfect. This bastard'll be getting a front-row seat to the fireworks show."

With that, they dragged the man in tandem over to a support beam, blood trailing behind his motionless body.

Damien secured the man to the post with an extension cord, while Alexia stuffed a sock in his mouth and secured it with tape.

"Have you almost got those girls out?" she asked.

They heard the knocks resuming once again.

 _"H-hey, you guys are still there, right?"_ asked one of the women. _"You're not gonna leave us here?"_

"N-no, no, of course not," said Damien as he finished tying the extension cord. "I've gotten the most of the locks undone, one more big pull should do it."

"Oh, then let me help you out," she offered before rising from her kneeling position. "Your arms are probably sore as hell by now."

"Oh hardly."

Damien finished securing the extension cord before they both headed to the door.

Both Alexia and Damien put their hands on the crowbar, whose surface had been dented significantly by the weight of the door. She noticed that her boyfriend's hands had become incredibly red and blistered from the effort he had exerted on the crowbar.

"Alright, one...two...THREE!"

On Damien's mark, they both pulled hard on the crowbar until the door popped successfully out of its hinges. Damien promptly went over and swung open the wooden barrier so that they could face the imprisoned women.

Walking into the miniature dungeon, unfurnished and even darker than the basement they had come from, Damien and Alexia were met with the gaunt faces of several women, chained by their necks to a series of pipes lining the walls. Despite the fact that they all wore identical evening dresses, their hair was dirty and tangled, and their bodies hunched from malnutrition. They shielded their eyes as Damien's flashlight shone over them.

"H-hey, it's alright," said Alexia softly. "You're safe now."

"Jesus fucking Christ..." muttered Damien, seeing the deplorable conditions the women were confined in. "So, uh, who are you guys, anyway? How'd you end up here?"

"Who aren't we?" spoke another one of the women, a black girl who sat hugging her knees. "Some of us are the wives of gangsters who owed Alastor money. So, he just...kidnapped us until they could pay him back. Others are girls he picked at random off the street, just because he could."

"We're all part of the Roses' personal harem...They pass us around like garbage, between the crew leader and his lackeys. And if we misbehave or do anything to set them off, then they...they..."

The girl's voice trembled as she struggled to hold back tears.

Then, she inexplicably turned her back toward the two and undid her dress, revealing a litany of raised welts crisscrossing her back. Alexia subconsciously raised a hand to her mouth; the whips had indeed been used in a sadistic manner on these girls, and quite extensively as well.

The woman had since lost control of her emotions; she sat crying on the filthy floor, a girl scarred both physically and emotionally from the Roses' brutality.

Alexia stepped forward and sat down beside the weeping woman, wrapping her in a tight hug to comfort her.

"Those fucking bastards..." Alexia hissed. "...Well I can promise you this, they're gonna pay for what they did to you. I swear it."

"Wh...what are you gonna do?"

"We're blowing this place up," Damien spoke plainly. "We came down here to rig the heating system with explosives...that is, until we knew Alastor kept his harem down here."

"Oh, wow..." the girl whispered in shock. "W-well, uh...I appreciate you taking the time to free us first then?"

"Hey, thank my girlfriend here. She's the one who convinced me to get you guys out."

The girl urged a smile through her tear-filled eyes, then met Alexia's gaze and embraced her in another hug.

"I...I really appreciate what you're doing for us."

"Hey, don't mention it," smiled Alexia.

The two strangers hugged for a few moments before Alexia stood up, standing next to her boyfriend.

"Alright, now let's get those chains off of you ladies."

"Right," answered Damien. "Only one way to do that I suppose..."

Damien withdrew a firearm from his suit pocket, a silenced 9-millimeter pistol. Alexia's AP pistol was tucked into her purse, but did not have asuppressor attachment like Damien's. Therefore, his bullets would have to be the ones that freed the girls.

"Just hold real still, okay?" Alexia comforted a girl as Damien held his gun to the chain.

She did as she was told, holding the chain tightly until a single shot from the gun snapped it in two, freeing her from the pipe.

They repeated this process with the other women, until they were all free. The chains continued to hang around their necks like bulky necklaces, even though they were at least not attached to anything.

Damien then ushered all of the women out of the dungeon and into the basement. The light from the window gleamed like a beacon of hope that the group rushed toward, Alexia and Damien remaining vigilant for any Rose that decided to make a last-minute check into the basement.

"Alright, ladies, let's make this quick," said Damien as he unlocked the window. "It's not gonna be long before they realize their buddy's been gone."

Damien nodded over to the guard who had since woken up from his unconscious state and was cursing loudly through his improvised gag at the two who he now knew to be undercover agents.

"Hey, shut up, you stupid bastard," Damien glowered at him. "Before my girlfriend gets that bat of hers back out."

Alexia cracked her fists in an attempt to act menacing. The guard reluctantly silenced himself, yet maintained his hostile glare toward the two.

Suddenly, a white light came flashing over the dark space, illuminating the silhouettes of the people in the room.

 _"Shit, shit, get down!"_ whispered Damien.

The girls and Alexia all complied, ducking behind the nearest shelf or pile of clutter that they could find to hide from the light's source.

Peeking over the wooden chest she had ducked behind, Alexia could see the light source emanating from the window which was to be the girl's escape route. She could clearly make out a set of feet, walking just outside the window, flashlight in hand to guide his way.

Once the guard had passed, Damien stood up, a scowl emboldened across his face.

"Looks like they're carrying out foot patrols," he stated. "These gals can't get caught, Lex, or else all our covers will be blown."

"Well...maybe you can lead 'em out, Damien," suggested Alexia. "They follow you off the property, use your silenced pistol on any guards you encounter. I mean, with someone as experienced in stealth missions as you are..."

"Fuckin' hell," Damien sighed. "...I suppose we're in too deep to just back out now."

"Hey...I appreciate all you're doing, baby. Really, I do."

Alexia got close to her boyfriend, smiling as she hugged him about his waist. The warmth of his girlfriend's charming presence was enough to soften up the rigidly-stoic man by several degrees.

"And, uh, we appreciate what you're doing as well."

One of the girls spoke, stepping forward.

"...Listen, you guys are with the Skulls, right? I couldn't think of any others that would wanna blow up the Rose compound so badly...Well, I can guarantee you that we're not gonna forget what you've done for us. I-I dunno what use you'd have for a few gangsters' wives, but...we owe you guys big. So we'd be glad to help you out whenever you may need us."

The girls nodded in solidarity with one another. United through their trauma, they stood by each other, ready to help in any way that they could.

Damien's mind, meanwhile, was still focused on the mission, despite the dramatic turn it had taken down in the basement.

"Look, let's just get you guys outta here first, alright? Then we can talk about what all you owe us."

"Fine by us," she replied. "I-I know my way around Paleto Bay, so you just lead us off the property, I can get all of us someplace safe."

"Alright, good deal," said Damien with a light smile. "...Lex, as soon as the coast's clear, just grab Jess and leave. I'll be waiting for you in the truck."

"Got it."

"Alright, ladies...let's move."

Alexia and Damien embraced once more before her boyfriend climbed through the window, so agile that he barely scuffed his tuxedo in the process.

This left Alexia in the basement to help with assisting all of the girls in climbing out. She strained to hold each one up as Damien pulled them through, simultaneously watching for any guards that might approach.

As soon as the last girl was hauled through, Alexia quickly shut the window as Damien led the girls off into the night.

She sighed, wiping sweat from her face, before preparing to head back upstairs and inconspicuously rejoin the party. She could only hope that her boyfriend could lead the girls out safely and maintain their cover, and that Jess was still sufficiently distracting the Rose thugs and party guests upstairs.

As she approached the staircase leading out from the darkness, she witnessed the door open, and the light from upstairs spill into the basement. In a panic, she dove behind a nearby stack of boxes to avoid being spotted.

The door closed, and thundrous footsteps echoed down the chamber that led to the basement. Alexia trembled, crouching as low as she could to remain hidden.

"Hey," the man called as he entered. "Aaron, what's been takin' you so fuckin' long, man? I saw you come in here like five minutes ago."

He stepped off of the last stair, peering through the darkness to look for his friend. All he could see, however, was blackness, with the exception of the moon-speckled window on the other side from him.

Alexia cautiously peeked up as the man fumbled his way through the darkness. She happened to recognize him as the man who had initially been watching the basement entrance, before Jess had lured him away like a siren to her enchanting piano.

Now, however, he looked as if he had broken from the spell, however much sweat glistened off his forehead in the faint moonlight. Alexia knew, most of all, that she could not let him find the body of his friend, and so she had to act quickly in killing him under cover of darkness.

She grabbed her switchblade, carefully flipping it open to expose the knife. She then took off her heeled shoes so that she could tread stealthily along the basement floor. Her bare feet were chilled to the bone by the icy linoleum, but still she proceeded forward, until the guard was within easy knife's range.

Suddenly, she heard some more muffles from the other side of the basement.

"...Someone there?"

The guard turned heel and went over to the far end of the basement, where he found Aaron bound to a utility pole. He rushed over and pulled off his tape.

"Aaron! My God, w-what happened?"

"They're spies, goddammit!" he growled. "...They've been playin' us from the start."

"Who?"

"Elijah, man. Him and his wife, and his fucking daughter too...They came in here and freed all the girls from their cell."

"Are you fucking...?!"

The guard immediately got up and rushed over to the dungeon, where he saw the door still ajar and pried off its hinges. Looking inside revealed that the girls had indeed escaped, a scenario which would most definitely be blamed on him.

"Ohh shit oh shit oh shit, what the fuck dude!" the guard yelled in a panic, holding his hands to his temples. "Wh-what the fuck am I gonna do, man? The boss is gonna skin me alive! L-like he did with the-?!"

"Calm the fuck down, man!" yelled Aaron. "We can get 'em back, just please untie me first."

"Y-yeah, yeah you're right. Sorry, man...Here, let me-"

Alexia sprung up from the darkness behind the man, sinking her serrated steel blade into the side of his neck. With an immense effort she pulled the knife through muscle and tendon until she slashed through the neck completely, successfully severing the carotid artery.

The guard fell down, gasping for breath as he choked on his own blood. Aaron could only watch in horror as Alexia brought her knife down multiple times upon the man's chest and throat, not stopping until she was sure he was dead.

She panted hard through the rapid thumping of her heart against the walls of her ribcage. Her temples coursed with sweet adrenaline, mimicking the pounding of war drums in her ears.

She turned over to Aaron, realizing that she could not leave any more loose ends. Despite her ever-present reluctance to kill people except when necessary, she realized that leaving him down here alive could indeed compromise the whole mission, leading to her, Jess, and Damien's demise. In addition, the killing of the other guard had granted her a temporary craving for blood, a side effect of the sudden adrenaline boost.

Even as she stepped toward him, Aaron remained defiant, sitting up and staring Alexia square in the face.

"Go ahead, you little shit," he growled. "Kill me...It won't save your whole crew from going down in fucking flames."

Alexia hesitated for a second, her rational thoughts returning to her. She temporarily dropped her knife-wielding arm to her side.

"...What makes you say that? Are you planning something?"

"Maybe," he said with an evil smirk. "Hell, we might be so powerful by now that we can crush you guys like bugs and reign Los Santos in your place. Either way though, I ain't tellin' tou shit."

"Like hell you are, motherfucker!"

She raised her knife to the man's neck, makingsure that he could feel the serrated edges scraping against his neck.

"Tell me, o-or I'll fucking slit your throat open!"

The guard laughed casually, in complete defiance of Alexia's glowering stare.

"Listen, kid. I know you're wantin' to act all tough right now, but the fact is...you're not very good at it. Like, at all. It..it's laughable at how pathetic you are, honestly. I'd be more intimidated by a fuckin' toadstool or something, but not you."

She tried not to listen to the guard, who was obviously trying to disarm her with petty insults. However, she couldn't help but revert to the truth behind his assessment, her small stature and lack of muscles, plus her overtly-shy persona.

Her grip on the knife started to waver, and the guard gave a smug grin as her gaze became downcast and morose.

"Look, you should probably just give it up now, sister," he continued. "Before you get your ass fuckin' handed to you later by someone that isn't tied up. You and I both know that you're weak as fuckin' SHIT...Hell, are you even listening to me right now?"

 _"Shut up..."_

Her voice was small and trembling as she looked away from the guard, who simply laughed in response.

"Shut up? Is that the best you got, you fucking stupid-"

Without warning, Alexia drove her knife deep into the man's shoulder. The guard screamed in terrible agony as she twisted the knife while still wedged between the shoulder joints, lacerating muscle and splintering nerves in the process.

Afraid that the party guests might hear such cries of pain, Alexia quickly took the knife back out and stabbed the guard in the throat, producing a great geyser of blood.

"Well who's the weak one now, bitch?!" she yelled, anger quickly overcoming her rational thoughts in a process that was all-too-familiar to her.

Then, in swift movements also mimicking past events, she began to stab the guard repeatedly, aiming for the face, chest, and neck to ensure as many vital areas as possible were damaged. As she mercilessly butchered the man, the wave of guilt that would normally crash over her like a wave now instead lapped at her ankles, not even coming close to reaching the fire enveloping her mind.

She stabbed the man in the skull one last time before ensuring that he was dead. She stood up and took a step back to ogle the mess she had created. Blood splattered the floor all around them, and this display of gore unfortunately did not save her own skin from being covered in a disturbing quantity of red.

The girl fresh off the plane just a few weeks ago would have been mortified by having to kill someone with a gun. Flash forward a bit, and she felt no qualms whatsoever about stabbing two men brutally to death, bodily fluids and blood splattered across her arms and face from the gruesome murders she had committed.

It was hideous what she did, and yet, for some reason, the guilt that Alexia normally associated with killing was not there. No pangs of remorse, no selflessness. Just the everlasting notion that what was done was done. The man was obviously threatening her life, and so had to be dealt with. After all, it was either her or him.

As she thought back to the days of innocence, the days when there was no blood on her hands, she could not help but wonder what she had become. It seemed that just a few short weeks in this city had turned her into an automaton, capable of mass murder with no second thoughts whatsoever. She was also capable of performing incredibly-messy killings like the ones she had just committed, but still, she felt no discernible guilt. She thought not of the guards' families or who they were as people, only that the circumstances had called for them to die. There was no other way out.

She looked towards the floor, so that she could finally get down to business: she obviously could not enter the party coated in blood, so she set about to find a water pipe that she could wash her arms and face with.

Eventually, she found it, a pipe that emitted a steady stream of water with the turn of a crank. She quickly washed her arms of the sticky blood that clung to her skin, then set about washing her face, removing her makeup in the process.

Then, realizing that time was crucial if she wanted to avoid another incident like the one she had just encountered, she bounded up the wooden steps, leaving behind the two creaked the door open just a tad to see if anyone was watching. As it turned out though, all of the party guests' eyes were still on Jess, giving Alexia ample time to slip out of the basement unnoticed.

"Alright then, you guys want one more?"

The crowd cheered, and Jess blushed as a result.

"Welllll okay, if you insist..."

After a beat, she began tapping out "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio, to much applause from the crowd.

Suddenly though, Jess spotted Alexia signalling urgently to her from the back of the crowd, which she took as the sign that it was time to leave.

She ended her sonata on a sour chord, much to the confusion of the crowd.

"I-I mean uh, WHOOPS, just got my period," she said as she excused herself. "Th-thank you everyone. Thank you Blaine County."

Members of the crowd looked at each other, confused.

Even though everyone was highly befuddled by her strange behavior and how she briskly walked away from the piano, they nonetheless clapped enthusiastically for the attractive woman who had entertained them, waving goodbye to her as she exited with Alexia.

She laughed nervously, bidding her audience farewell before turning back to Alexia.

 _"What happened? Where's Damien?"_ she whispered anxiously.

 _"He's gonna meet us at the truck. I'll give you the full run-down once we're there."_

 _"Okay good, 'cause I am fucking DONE entertaining people for the night."_

With that said, Jess promptly zipped up her dress, hiding her cleavage from any more prying eyes.

 _"Well I appreciate all you've done, Jess. Seriously, that was above and beyond."_

 _"Ah don't mention it, anything to help out my boy...and my girl."_

The two girls stepped outside, only to be faced with a fierce maritime wind that blew in from the north, chilling the desert air around them. Gray clouds began to form on the horizon, just past the rocky islands that pockmarked the northernmost shores of San Andreas.

Jess and Alexia braved the fierce wind to reach the truck, where Damien sat rather casually inside.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

"Well, you sound relaxed," spoke Alexia. "I take it the girls got out safely?"

"Yep, every one of 'em. That one girl took 'em all to one of her husband's safehouses, where they can get treated."

"Awesome," she grinned. "You see, it feels pretty good to do good deeds for people."

"Yeahh, I guess..."

"Aight, aight hold up," Jess interjected. "Now you two obviously owe me an explanation, but first..."

Jess held her hand out beside Damien, as if she expected him to cough up something valuable. He, of course, immediately withdrew the fake mustache from his pocket and gave it to her.

"Aw hell yeah!" she cheered, before promptly placing the fuzzy appendage on her lip.

She took a moment to be mesmerized as she touched the mustache while Damien started the engine, driving quickly away from the compound.

"So, what did you...I-I mean..."

Jess cleared her throat.

 _"So...What in Sam Hill were you snake-widdling varmints doin' in there, huh?"_ she said in her gruffest possible Yosemite Sam impression.

 _"Why ah...nothin' Sam,"_ said Damien, impersonating Bugs Bunny. _"We just came across Alastor's poisonal harem down in da basement. The goils looked in trouble, so we got 'em outta dere."_

 _"Great horny toadies!"_ Jess gasped. _"What an ornery no-good idjit that guy is!"_

They both simultaneously turned to Alexia, expecting her to contribute a funny voice of her own. In response, she turned red, slinking down in her seat.

"Uh... _I tawt I taw a puddy tat!"_

Alexia grinned, her cheeks hot with embarrassment, which only caused Jess and Damien to double over with laughter.

"Oh...oh man, Lexi!" Jess struggled to breathe through chuckles.

"Hey, I was never good with voices, alright? Tweety's about the best I can do."

"You're so cute sometimes, Lex, even when you don't mean to be," grinned Damien.

"Hey, shut up!" Alexia scowled, resenting such an accusation as her friends continued to laugh. "Gah, where the fuck's the detonator?"

"Got it right here, babe," said Damien, holding it up for the two girls to see. "I think we're far enough away now, so just whenever you're ready."

"Well, actually now that I think about it..."

She turned back to Jess, who perked up with the mustache still across her upper lip.

"Jess...Would you like to do the honors in blowing the place to hell?"

"Ohh boy, you mean it Lexi?!"

"I sure do," smiled Alexia. "I, uh, think you've definitely earned it."

She placed the detonator in Jess's hand. She looked down at the tiny remote control with eyes flecked with excitement.

"Awwh, thanks you guys...Y'know what, I'm gonna make this one out to you both, for being such awesome friends."

With that, Jess promptly stuck her head out the window, the wind blowing off her wig in the process. Her mustache, however, remained displayed proudly upon her upper lip.

"FOR FRIENDSHIP, BITCHES!" she screamed into the open air, before pressing the detonator button.

The explosion was audible to everyone within the car, who possessed a striking view of the mansion from across the waters of Paleto Cove. They could see the mansion house implode in upon itself, as the supports collapsed, and the remains of the house go up in a striking fireball from the natural gas system exploding. The odds of anyone surviving such a fireball were virtually nil.

Cheers erupted from the vehicle upon seeing the compound go up in smoke. Jess reentered, giving her friend congratulatory slaps on the back. Damien, in turn, embraced the two girls as he drove one-handed.

Alexia could not help but celebrate along with her friends, despite the twisted faces of the two men she had stabbed to death still being painfully fresh in her memory.

"WHOO! Good job, you guys!" cheered Damien.

"Hell yeah! On the menu tonight: Rose barbecue, baby!" said Jess with a hearty laugh.

"Y'know what, I think I prefer mine well-done."

"Then you're in luck, D. Those guys have been burnt to a fine crisp."

She blew a few kisses with her hand, imitating an Italian chef.

 _"Mmmmmm che bello, signore, isa arrosto! It's a...it's-a da family recipe!"_

"Jesus, relax, Jess!" Damien laughed. "I wasn't plannin' on actually eating them."

"N-no, no, of course not," she smiled bashfully. "They'd probably taste like shit anyhow."

The truck continued, taking country back roads in order to avoid the heavy police presence that was sure to manifest after such a big explosion. The high-pitched drones of emergency vehicles were clear as Damien turned onto a dirt road that ran concurrent to Raton Canyon, an outflow of the nearby Alamo Sea.

Alexia sat still, her celebratory mood fading somewhat as the truck made its nondescript egress back to Los Santos.


	27. The Prison Break: Plane

**Well, it's finally that time of year, fellas: Heist Time. Where the stakes are high, the explosions are epic, and the sound of gunfire rings through the air of Los Santos and Blaine County...Granted, there's not really a bad time of year in which to do a heist, but this is when I'm doin' it, so it goes.**

 **And uh, not to spoil anything for this chapter, but...Mr. DannyPhantom619, your request has been granted. That's all I'm gonna say ;)**

 **Anyway, friends, now is the time to take a load off, grab some popcorn, make yourselves comfortable, and enjoy the start of these forthcoming Heist Adventures.**

* * *

"Forty-seven...forty-eight...forty-nine...fifty!"

Alexia lay on her back on the floor of her living area, panting with exhaustion as she relished in a break from exercises. She had just finished up her daily regimen by performing fifty sit-ups, a personal record for her which immediately manifested as a burning pain in her abdominal area.

A little pain though, she assured herself, would be worth it eventually. Over the past few days, she had stuck to a strict diet and exercise regimen focused on building up her muscles. While no discernible results were visible yet, she was resolute in adhering to a set routine in order to gain her desired muscles. In the process, she had even learned how to do push-ups, working her way up to doing ten or even twenty of them at a time.

Besides, the temporary spurt of pain felt rewarding in a sense, like her body was being worked to its full potential. As sweat glistened on her forehead and her lungs filled themselves with oxygen, she stood, reveling in the post-workout serenity.

She soon remembered, however, that she had something else to prepare for today; something that could alternately make or break her chances at a successful criminal career. Agent 14 would be stopping by her house later to give her details about the job where she would be leading three of her fellow criminals into perilous life-or-death situations.

Luckily for her, she had had the opportunity to become friendly with her heist partners before the job had taken place. Jess, of course, was her best friend, and Noël she had performed her last heist with. She was not quite as familial and chummy with Elena, but nonetheless, she knew that they held a mutual respect for each other that, despite the Russian woman's stone-cold demeanor, was quite great. When she had called her up to inform her of the work she had, she was surprised at how readily Elena took the job, despite her barely even explaining that it was for the Skulls.

She could only hope that Elena, Jess, and Noël could all work together peacefully. After all, both the long-term survival of the Black Skulls and a hefty amount of cash depended on it.

Suddenly, the buzzing at her door that she was expecting finally came. She walked swiftly across the apartment and swung open the door, where she greeted the government agent standing at her doorstep.

"Oh. Hey, Agent," she said flatly.

"Why that tone all of a sudden?" he asked as he walked himself into her apartment. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"Yeahh, maybe someone a little less dickish. But you'll do until my friends get here."

"Right, your friends...Mind tellin' me who we're working with here?"

"Well, one's an experienced pilot," she explained. "One is a professional streetracer, and the other one is a past special forces operative."

"Ah good, you got a pilot," he said, appearing quite relieved. "We're definitely gonna need one of those in our extraction plan...Not bad choices for the other two as well, I was kind of expecting you to just round up some dumb crooks and call it a day."

The agent took a deep breath, surveying Alexia's posh living space.

"...You, uh, got a spare room or anything?"

"Yeah, right over there," she said, pointing to the storage room that she had used for planning the last heist.

"Alright, perfect. I'll go get set up."

"Please, make yourself at home," joked Alexia. "Can I get you something to drink, maybe a sandwich?"

"No, I stopped at Cluckin' Bell on the way over. So, uh, save yourself the effort."

The agent entered the room as Alexia grimaced, disheartened that Agent 14's snarkiness levels greatly outmatched her own. Although, judging on how the man often came off to other people, she supposed she could see this as more of a blessing.

From behind the door, she could hear the agent setting up a planning board, once again writing the plans directly onto her wall. She frowned, as it had taken enough elbow grease the last time to wipe off the marker stains of Lester's scheme.

Another buzzing was heard, followed by several rapid knocks in a row. Alexia hurried to the door, where an 8-year-old girl stood waiting for her.

"Ah, Noël. Glad you could make it."

"Well of course I was gonna make it," the girl retorted, as flippant as ever. "You said you had work."

"That I do. Once all the others get here, we can get started on it."

Noël entered into the kitchen area, not bothering to ask before swiping some packaged chocolate chip cookies from the pantry.

"So...that girl, Jess, is gonna be here right?"

"Yyyeah," she said hesitantly.

"Okay. Well you two can have all the gay romance you want, alright? Just please leave me out of it."

"But we're not even...!"

She sighed, knowing that letting herself become angry would just feed the argument.

"Look, I talked with her the other day, and she said she has no interest in women. We're just friends, and that's it."

Noël suddenly began to laugh, with her mouth still full of cookies.

"Ohh, Alexia. Of course someone's not gonna tell you that outright, especially if they're interested in you."

"Well why not?" she asked. "Jess trusts me as her friend, so if she is interested in me, she'd tell me."

"B-but this is different though, it's..."

She paused so she could swallow the mass of cookie crumbs.

"She might have been afraid of how you'd react. Like, if it could have destroyed that trust. Especially since...well, you're a Christian right?"

Noël nodded toward a leatherbound Bible that Alexia had placed prominently on her coffee table, as well as a crucifix that hung as a good luck charm above the stove.

"...Yeah, I'm a Christian, but I have no qualms with gay people. As long as it's consensual, I honestly don't give a fuck what people do."

"Hey, isn't there a passage in the Bible where it says girls on their periods are quarantined and no one's allowed to touch anything they've sat on?"

"Noël!"

Alexia subconsciously turned red, as she was taken aback that Noël knew such things as such a young girl. She, however, asked this in earnest, cocking an eyebrow when Alexia hesitated in answering. Seeing this, she had no choice but to be straight with the girl.

"...Yes, but that's an Old Testament rule. Jesus atoned for all of those on the cross, so we're good now. We don't have to follow them."

"Why'd they leave that in the book though, if you didn't have to follow them? Doesn't that seem contradictory to God's word?"

Noël gave a devilish smile, which signaled to Alexia that she was simply messing with her. Seeing that the girl was just trying to get under her skin, as she was prone to do at times, she gave a heavy frown, heading over to her refrigerator to grab herself a soda.

"...You want one?" she asked Noël.

"Yeahhh, sure."

Alexia complied, tossing a can of grape-flavored soda over her shoulder. Noël successfully caught and opened the can, taking a large swig of the beverage. Alexia opened her own can and sat beside Noël. They both sat in silence for a few moments, watching the TV that Alexia had left on in her living room. The daily news showed the usual slew of world events, as well as a forecast for a pleasant sunny day for the job they would be doing.

She glanced over at the little girl, who sat looking at her feet. She looked as if she had something she wanted to say, but was trying to come up with the appropriate words to articulate her thoughts.

"...Something on your mind, Noël?"

Noël's eyes widened. She was startled that Alexia had somehow read her mind. Nonetheless, she looked up to meet Alexia's receptive gaze.

"Well...yeah. Kind of, I mean."

Alexia remained attentive as Noël fished for words. She appeared uncharacteristically nervous for someone that was usually arrogant and bratty.

"I...Well, I suppose I'll just say it upfront - Lamar's kicking me out of his house."

"What?"

"Yeah. Apparently, one of his schemes recently went south, people got killed, there's rival gang lords out for his head...et cetera, et cetera. So he thinks it's too dangerous for me to keep living with him...But aside from that, I haven't been a very good houseguest, leaving dishes in the sink, taking too long in the bathroom. So, it's just a surprise that he hadn't kicked me out sooner."

Despite her nonchalant delivery of these words, Noël looked toward her feet, visibly ashamed that she had just admitted such a weakness to Alexia.

Not wanting to see her upset, Alexia spoke.

"Well, um...you could stay with me for a while, if you want."

Noël looked up with an air of acute astonishment.

"I...Really?"

"Yeah, i-it'll be no problem...Honestly, this apartment is too big for me anyway, so it'll be nice having someone else living here. Besides, I'm not gonna just let you fend for yourself on the street. That'd be beyond cruel."

"Well, I...Th-thanks, Alexia."

"Don't mention it, Noël," she said with a smile. "We're friends, after all."

"R-right...friends..."

Even though the girl had made amends with her former rival, her years of confinement and hostile nature still left her with a blatant misunderstanding of the term 'friendship'. According to Alexia though, it seemed like a simple mutual partnership, where one would provide support and resources when needed in the hopes that the other person would one day assist them in the same manner. After all, why would Alexia ever be so kind to her without expecting something in return?

However, realizing that she would not have a place to sleep without Alexia's generosity, she decided in her mind to simply figure out a way to pay her back later.

"...Well, um, I guess I'll get my stuff from Lamar's after we're done with the job. And, uh...d-don't worry, I'm just gonna stay till I've found a place of my own. I don't wanna bother you for long."

"Noël, you're not bothering me. You can stay as long as you like."

"Y'know, I really wish I could believe you..."

Noël looked downwards, her tiny eyes quickly becoming morose. She tried her best to hide this emotion from Alexia, but this did not stop her from wrapping a comforting arm around the little girl's shoulders.

"Look, I'm not blind to the fact that just a while ago, we hated each other," said Alexia. "But...another thing that my faith is really big on is forgiveness. I-I realize I've kinda sucked at following that doctrine in the past when I become blinded by my anger, but...nonetheless, the Bible says to forgive people who've wronged you, and God will forgive you in return."

"Ah, so that's it, isn't it?" asked Noël. "You just act all nice and everything just so you can get into Heaven. _That's_ your motivation."

Alexia's eyes widened, as she suddenly understood the weight behind Noël's grievances. She legitimately thought that she was only being so nice to her because it provided some kind of reward, whether on Earth with recruiting her for jobs, or in the afterlife so that she could be forgiven of her sins.

She had to pause momentarily, as she was quite unsure of how to convince the antisocial little girl that she did in fact consider her as a friend, no matter the reward it would provide to her.

"...Noël, my faith is important to me, alright? I try to follow it to the best of my ability, even in this career of robbing and killing people...But even if I wasn't religious at all, I'd still think of you as my friend. Because...well, I guess you can say that we get each other. We've both been institutionalized, we're both pretty damn antisocial...I mean, in a weird, twisted way, you're kind of like...my non-biological little sister, or something."

"Oh come on, now you're just talking crazy," Noël admonished her. "First you say you love me, then you say you consider me a little sister?"

"I know it sounds weird," she admitted. "But it has some basis in truth. The fact that we used to fight so much, it's...kinda like when me and my brothers used to wrestle over the TV remote or bathroom privileges. No matter how much we fought though, I still loved my brothers. And I...I just kind of feel a similar connection to you. If you don't think of me as a big sister in turn, then that's fine. But at least believe me when I say that I care for you just as a sibling would."

Noël pouted, playing with her thumbs as she contemplated Alexia's words. Clearly she was not exhibiting such kindness for a reward of some sort, but genuinely felt a connection to Noël. Why she harbored such feelings were still unknown to her. She thought it very unusual that people would form such iron-clad bonds, especially for people who they formerly considered unfriendable.

As she thought about these things, the doorbell rang, and Alexia rose to answer it.

" _That_ might be Jess. She texted me she was on her way."

Noël gave a heavy sigh.

"Alright, if we're gonna be working together, might as well go meet this chick."

She hopped from her seat and followed Alexia to the door. She swung it open to immediately be greeted by a constricting hug from her blonde-haired friend.

"Ohh Lexi, I'm so excited for today!" she shouted as she lifted her friend off the ground. "This heist is gonna be fucking epic, especially with me and you as a team!"

 _"G...good to see you too, Jess,"_ Alexia managed to squeak through the vacuum-like pressure on her ribcage.

"What?"

She paused in continuing her death grip, letting out a slight laugh as she released her friend.

"Sorry, girl. I-I just get real excited when prepping for big jobs like this...Well that, and I just drank about 6 iced coffees from Bean Machine, but whatevs. I'm fuckin' PUMPED right now, man!"

Alexia glanced back at Noël, who stared up blankly at the six-foot-tall girl towering over both her and Alexia. At the same moment, Jess took notice the tiny little girl standing behind Alexia. She subconsciously gasped, holding a hand to her heart.

Trying to contain herself despite witnessing such a cute sight as a miniature criminal, she stepped over to Noël, getting down on her knees so that she could be at eye level with her.

"Well hey there," she said with a grin. "You must be Lexi's friend, that she robbed that bank with...W-well I'm Jessamine, it's really nice to meet you, uh..."

"...Noël," she grumbled. "And please don't talk to me like that, I think I have the mental capacity to converse like an adult, okay?"

Jessamine blushed, looking down at her knees.

"I-I'm sorry Noël, I just...I..."

Jess could contain herself no longer. She let out a high-pitched squeal before wrapping the tiny girl in a hug.

"OH MY GOD, YOU ARE JUST THE CUTEST THING EVER!" Jess screamed. "I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!"

"Hey lady, you got fucking bricks for ears? I said-!"

 **"AND SHE CURSES TOO?!"**

Screaming with joy, she picked up Noël off the ground and swung around with glee. Alexia couldn't help but laugh quietly, as it was refreshing to see her friend bearhug someone else for a change.

With her face pressed against Jess's chest, she struggled feverishly against her grip.

 _"PUT ME...THE FUCK...DOWN!"_

"Yeahh, Jess, just ease off for now. She's not really used to your hugs just yet," said Alexia with a smile.

Consenting to Alexia's wishes, Jess stopped swinging Noël around like a ragdoll, setting her down on the ground.

"Yeahhh, you're right, Lexi," she said with an embarrassed smile. "But don't worry, Noël. We'll have plenty of time for that."

"THE HELL WE WILL!" she screamed at Jess. "Y-you touch me again, you're gonna seriously fucking regret it, lady!"

"Hnnnng oh my GOD!" she squealed once again, putting her hands to Noël's cheeks and squishing them playfully. "Even your rage is adorable! Everything about you is just SO FREAKING CUTE-!"

Without warning, Noël lashed out, attempting to bite off one of Jess's fingers. Fortunately, Alexia managed to get between the two before this could occur, but this did not stop the little girl from growling at Jess with a ferocity inundated by incredible anger and humiliation. Jess, meanwhile, remained unfazed, giggling some more at Noël's adorable fit of rage.

The doorbell buzzed once again, which Alexia knew signaled Elena's arrival. Despite Noël's death stare and Jess still fawning over how cute she was, she briefly left from the tense situation to answer the door.

Elena stood, clad in her usual leather attire, finishing up a message on her phone.

"Elena!" Alexia grinned at the Russian woman who she had not been able to see since the last job they had pulled together.

She, however, remained her stoic frown before pocketing her smartphone and nodding at Alexia. Still retaining an awkward smile, she led Elena into the apartment, where she came into view of the other two girls.

"Elena, WASSUP GIRL?! How you been?" greeted Jess.

"...Hello, Jessamine," she said emotionlessly.

The tough Russian girl eyed Noël standing in front of Jess, cocking an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Tell me, why did you bring your daughter?" she asked Jess. "This is no work for a child."

"Daughter? WHAT-" protested Noël.

However, Jess soon came to realize that the two did somewhat look alike, with matching wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. Jessamine swooned once again, as she was not opposed at all to claiming Noël as her daughter and babying her to her heart's content.

Alexia stepped forward, taking Noël's shoulder in order to calm her down.

"Actually, Elena, she's part of the heist crew...This is Noël. Don't let her age fool you, she can handle herself well. I-I robbed that bank with her last week."

"Hmm, interesting," said Elena with a nod.

She found it quite odd that Alexia would choose to perform jobs with someone so young. The girl appeared no older than a third-grader, yet Alexia stuck up for her so soundly for a reason unknown to her. However, she reasoned that she had given Alexia a chance to prove herself, even after being so underwhelmed upon meeting her, so she reasoned that she could do the same with the little girl.

She cleared her throat, stepping towards Noël.

"Well in that case, it's nice to meet you...Elena Volkov."

The two shook hands briefly. Noël was quite relieved that this woman was decent enough to treat her like a fellow adult, instead of a cute little girl to be gushed over. If she continued giving her the recognition she felt she deserved, she saw herself even liking the woman, despite the complete absence of any charm in her pale face and gaunt eyelids.

Jess's buoyant personality, meanwhile, caused her to tussle Noël's pigtails and snicker gleefully.

"Would you FUCK OFF!" she screamed, straightening her pigtails angrily.

"Sorry, I can't help it," she said between giggles. "B-but don't worry Noël, from now on...I-I'm gonna try. Pinkie promise."

Jess stuck her pinkie finger out for Noël to accept. Begrudgingly she did, if only to complete the job and collect the biggest take of her life. Noël's tiny finger wrapped around Jess's to affirm the temporary ceasefire.

"How touching," commented Elena. "...So Alexia, what exactly are we doing here?"

"Well um, I don't quite know yet," she admitted. "We're gonna have to meet my contact in the other room. He'll give us all the details."

The girls all heard as Agent 14 knocked on the wall from the other room.

 _"Yeah, and I've been ready for like five minutes now! Let's go."_

The assembled heist crew shared brief glances with each other before obeying. Alexia held open the door for her fellow heist mates, still extraordinarily anxious about the prospect of leading all of them safely through a dangerous IAA-sanctioned mission.

Upon entering the heist room, Alexia immediately took notice of the complex heist board that took up virtually the entire far wall. Charts, diagrams, and useful pictures were arranged in a chaotically organized collage, with the steps for the heist and a map of key locations clearly displayed for reference.

Agent 14 stood by his work as if to show it off. The four girls, however, were already quite impressed by the level of professionalism that he exhibited. Eager to get down to business, he stood up, clearing his throat to get the girls' attention.

"So...nice to see all you four ladies here. Means we can get started right..."

The agent stopped when he noticed Noël standing amongst the adults in the room.

He sighed in an annoyed manner.

"Okay, seriously? You couldn't find a decent daycare or something to take the kid for the day? What is this?"

"Why you SON OF A-!"

"A-actually, Agent 14, this is the professional streetracer I told you about," spoke Alexia, holding Noël back. "And she can get shit done, I robbed that bank with her last week."

"Is that so?" he asked, eyes widening. "Well, I must admit that's...definitely a first for me."

"Wow Noël, you're a pro streetracer?!" asked Jess in her standard yell. "That's awesome!"

The little girl glanced at Jess with hateful eyes before turning back to the agent.

"Anyway uh, sorry about that, kid," he conceded. "My mistake."

"Grrah, it's okay," she said under gritted teeth.

"Hey Noël, maybe you could race me sometime," said Jess with a grin. "I won't go easy on you though."

"Yeahh, I'd rather eat the fossilized splooge from a fucking T-rex than do that."

Jess gasped comedically, holding a hand to her still-smiling lips.

 _"MOST UNORTHODOX!"_ she exclaimed in a Victorian-era accent.

"Well, you can certainly do that in your spare time," piped Agent 14. "But for now, we have a highly valuable prisoner to break out of Bolingbroke Penitentiary. More specifically...this guy."

Agent 14 produced from a nearby table a mugshot. The man featured in the picture did not exactly fit the criminal criteria: bald, bespectacled, and with a crushing seriousness about his demeanor. Whatever he was convicted of, Alexia figured that it had to be something truly bad for the IAA to be involved.

He handed the picture to Alexia, who passed it around to her fellow crewmates.

"Alright, so the man we're after is Doctor Maxim Rashkovsky. Brilliant nuclear scientist and former head of research for the Army. Convicted of everything from IT theft, to embezzlement and grand larceny, even to fucking treason. All of these crimes, mind you, he DID actually commit...Just wanna make that clear, we're freeing someone who poses an active threat to national security. But...he has certain information that we need, so this is part of an informal protection program-slash-paid service we set up with him."

"...Yes, I have heard of this man."

Everyone in the room turned to look at Elena, who gazed curiously at the picture in her hand.

"Before he came to America, he was one of the top weapons developers in Russia. We at the KGB considered him a threat because of his disobeying orders repeatedly. He wanted to continue producing nuclear weapons, even though the Cold War was in its last days. Moreover, he made several shady deals with Middle Eastern nations selling his knowledge of our warheads. Naturally, a price was put on his head. But he fled before we could, uh, deliver justice to him."

"Ah, I see," commented the agent. "So, is that gonna present a...conflict of interest for you?"

"No, not at all," she affirmed. "My ties to the KGB are long gone by now. Any feelings of revenge against our enemies were made null when the Soviet Union collapsed."

"So uh...why'd you tell us all that then?" asked Noël.

Elena paused, unsure of how to respond to the young girl's question.

Alexia was shocked to see Elena blush. The toughened woman looked down at her feet, as if embarrassed.

"I, um...Well, I just thought it...might be something useful to know in this operation. A-about the professor, I mean."

"Y'know...it just might be," said Agent 14. "So you heard that, ladies: the professor is loyal to no one but himself, not even his native country. His only motivator is greed...So really, he's not much different from you all. You're all in this for your own personal gain, am I right?"

The girls all looked around at each other, none of them wanting to actively affirm Agent 14's conjecture.

The agent grimaced at the timidity shown by his hired heist crew and, with a huff, turned back to the planning board.

"A-anyway, to break Professor Rashkovsky out of Bolingbroke, you're gonna need some supplies. First up is a twin-engine plane, owned by some Vagos up near Grapeseed. It's being used to traffic contraband into the state, so the hope is that the op will be traced back to them and not back to us...Next up, however, is a prison bus. Now, not just any bus is gonna do, they have security in place there to detect, say, a gaggle of dumbass criminals who decided to spray-paint an old school bus. Accordingly, we're gonna have to steal one during a prisoner transport. The one I had in mind involves a high-level national security risk, which will ONLY provide more fodder for our cover story. And after that, we need to procure an inmate transfer schedule and Rashkovsky's car, both of those are gonna be two-person jobs, max. So, my recommendation is that they're completed at the same time. But...the way I see it, you're the heist leader, Alexia. So I guess you can decide in what order these jobs are done."

"Hell yeah, you're the BOSS now, Lexi!" cheered Jess.

"...That's right," added an annoyed Agent 14. "I just set this up for you and provide you with some equipment you'll need. But you'll be the one deciding the approach, as well as the final cut for each individual member of your squad."

Alexia looked down at the floor, anxiety slowly pooling in the pit of her stomach. She, of course, had never been in charge of many things before, especially something such as this, where peoples' lives and financial securities were at stake.

She glanced around the room at her heist crew, who awaited a response from their leader. Jess grinned encouragingly, giving Alexia a thumbs-up as if to signal 'you've got this'.

"...Y-yeah, yeah, I got it, Agent. I think I can take it from here."

"Alright, perfect," the agent nodded. "I, uh, guess I'll let you get to it then. And, uh, I'll just drop by unannounced sometimes if that's cool, to check up on your progress."

"Fine by me."

With that, the agent packed up his bag and exited the heist room, leaving from Alexia's apartment without so much as a farewell.

Now that it was just her in the room to lead the conversation, Alexia's guts seized once again upon looking at the fellow criminals who considered her their leader. As friendly as she was with them, such a large amount of responsibility placed upon her shoulders frayed her nerves to no end. If one of them was to die or be captured, the blame would be placed squarely on her.

But then again, she could consider this role as merely practice, for the much larger role of being the Black Skulls' crew leader.

She gulped nervously before looking back at the planning board looming above her head.

"Alright, so uh..." she said with a nervous laugh. "...W-which of these do you guys wanna do first?"

"...You're asking us?" questioned Noël.

"W-well...yeah, I just thought I'd get your opinions before I made the decision."

"Lexi, the decision's up to YOU, girlfriend," said Jess with a wink. "That's your job as the leader."

"You will have to make many decisions as a leader, Alexia, some of them very hard ones," added Elena. "So, just let this be the first, yes?"

With her fellow crew members encouraging the shy, stammering woman, she found herself slowly gaining a bit of nerve. Her spine straightened, and her eyes narrowed with determination.

"Alright...Well, I say we steal the plane first, and then go in order down this list the agent's set up."

"Ah yes, like a to-do list," said Elena. "We just check things off as we go."

"Y-yeah," smiled Alexia. "Sort of...So Jess, can I trust you to fly the plane once we've secured the airfield?"

"Yes, ma'am!" said Jess, saluting her friend.

"C'mon, Jess, you don't have to call me that."

"Roger that, ma...uh, Lexi!"

"Hey, we can't go calling each other by our first names on the job!" shouted Noël. "Every dumbass knows that."

"Yeah, Noël's right," said Alexia. "...So uh, why not use our first initials? Like they do in the movies."

"Awwh, but I wanted to be called Captain Kickass!" moaned Jess.

"They wouldn't take us very seriously with names like that, Jessamine," remarked Elena.

"Yeahh, I guess you're right, Ele...uh, E."

"...Hey A, I-I really don't ask for much here," said Noël discretely. "J-just...PLEASE don't put me with J on this mission. She creeps me out."

"What was that, N?"

Noël jumped two feet in the air when she saw Jess standing right beside her, smiling creepily.

Alexia sighed, seeing as having Noël and Jess in the same heist crew would in fact present a problem.

"...Alright. So Noël, I guess you can drive with Elena, while me and Jess share a ride."

"Why don't we all just carpool, Lexi?" asked Jess curiously. "It's good for the environment."

"But maybe not for my sanity," mumbled Noël.

"Well actually, looking at this map right here..."

Alexia peered up at the display-sized map the agent had set up, specifically the area that marked McKenzie Airfield, where the plane was stored.

"...If we can come at 'em from two separate angles, then I think we have the best chance of overwhelming them. I-I'll look at satellite images on the way, then hit you on the earpieces with specifics."

"Sounds good, boss," Jess grinned. "Alright girls, you heard the boss! Let's move out!"

The three girls all looked at Jess in silence as she pointed valiantly toward the door.

"...Yeahh, let's not do that every time we head out," said Noël.

"Aw come on, it'll be cool."

"No, it wouldn't," added Elena.

Jess sighed.

"Well you guys are no fun...Let's go, Lexi. I'll chauffeur you over there."

With that, the girls headed out of Alexia's apartment, each group calling their mechanics to deliver the vehicles In an instant, Elena's Banshee and Jess's pink Buffalo were duly deposited on the curb, their sleek exteriors sparkling in the brilliant mid-morning sun.

Alexia climbed into the passenger seat of Jess's hot-pink sports car, which smelled faintly of bubblegum and other appropriately-girly aromas. Jess started the engine before performing a U-turn and speeding down the road, heading toward the interstate toward the Sandy Shores/Grapeseed area.

The heist leader took out her phone and scanned over an Eyefind map of the airfield. From a bird's-eye point of view, it was not much: a dirt runway with only one hangar, flanked by a couple of dirt paths on both sides. From this angle, she realized that it would indeed be opportune to hit the Vagos gangsters from two separate angles, diverting their firepower in half.

She reached toward her earpiece, setting it so that she could communicate with her entire group.

"Hey. E and N, do you copy?"

 _"Loud and clear, A,"_ sounded Noël.

 _"Copy that, A,"_ added Elena. _"We are still going in from two angles, yes?"_

"Yeah, I think that'd be most advantageous. We can flank 'em on both sides of the hangar where they're keeping the plane, divide their firepower. Once we clear the airfield, J takes the plane and delivers it to...wherever the agent needs it."

Suddenly, all the heist members heard their frequencies change, and a familiar voice ringing in their ears.

 _"I need the plane brought to LSIA. There's a hangar there that we're renting, not far from the main entrance...That's all."_

"Agent, wait how did you-?"

From the agent's end, she could hear only static, signaling that he had hung up as to not answer her question.

She sighed, leaning back in her seat.

"God, that guy's an asshole," she lamented to Jess.

"Yeahh, that's how government types are, I'm afraid...So, you trust him?"

"I don't see much reason not to," she said with a shrug. "Plus, my uncle even vouched for him...Not many people can say that."

"Take it from me, Lexi: the people most worth sticking up for are sometimes gonna be the ones with big old sticks up their asses...L-like your uncle for example. He's not always the most sociable, but he always gets shit done, doesn't he?"

"Y-yeah, yeah that's true," she nodded. "...I guess it's kinda foolish to think everyone is as friendly as you."

"Ohh, well I try my best," said Jess, blushing slightly at Alexia's compliment. "...I don't think Noël is really appreciating my attempts though."

"Noël's just hostile to people she doesn't know very well. It took me a while to become friendly with her, and we fought...a lot. But just give her some time, and some space, and I think she'll see you for the awesome person you are."

"Y-yeah, I think you're right," Jess smiled. "...I must say, you really know how to compliment a lady."

Alexia looked up at Jess, who smiled goofily and gave a good laugh in response. Alexia joined in the laughter, albeit in a more awkward and hesitant manner.

The laughter subsided, and the car reverted back to silence. To make the air a bit less awkward, Alexia withdrew her Special Carbine from her combat vest, making sure that it was functional and supplied with plenty of ammunition.

"...Hey um, since it's just the two of us in here...You mind if I ask you something?"

"Of course not, Jess. What is it?"

"W-well, I've just been curious for a long time now...Why do you always wear gloves?"

Surprised by the question, Alexia glanced down at her hands, which were covered by her standard charcoal-colored wintry gloves.

Jess glanced awkwardly away, fearing she may have upset Alexia with her curiosity.

"I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to..."

"N-no, no, I'm fine with showing you."

With that, Alexia pulled off one of her gloves, revealing a litany of raised rubbery keloids spanning from her wrist all the way to her fingers, remnants of her initiation into the Black Skulls.

Jessamine subconsciously covered her mouth.

"Jesus, Lexi..."

"Yeah...I know what it looks like, but I don't self-harm or anything. I got these in an accident."

"An accident?" she asked curiously. "Was this recent?"

"Sort of. It happened during my first street race...I guess I've never told you who I competed against, huh?"

Jess shook her head as she listened attentively to her friend.

"Well, it was this guy, Lamar Davis, and...then there was Noël."

"Noël?" Jess asked, shocked.

"Mm-hmm. Truth is, I've known her longer than I've known you...And she was also the one who rammed my car at high speed and sent me into a brick wall. The windshield was shattered by the impact and...it sent shards of glass right into both of my hands."

"Jiminy cripes, Lexi..." she trailed off, imagining how painful it must have been for Alexia to have hundreds of glass shards lodged in her hands. "...Y'know, I have some cream that'll help with the scars. I-I'll let you have some if you want."

Alexia perked up, not even knowing that such a treatment for scars that she had assumed were permanent.

"...You mean...it can make 'em go away?"

"Yeah, man," Jess grinned. "There's a beauty product out there to combat just about anything. For example, a can of hairspray and a lighter makes for an awesome makeshift flamethrower. And a good nail-filer can sever someone's jugular easily in stealth missions...I-I don't quite know where I was going with that, but my point is, the cream works wonders. I had a couple of scars like that on my belly one time, after being struck by some stray shotgun pellets. Applied some of the ointment, and the keloids just fell off like little rubbery worms."

"Eww, really?" Alexia cringed.

"Don't worry, it doesn't hurt," she said with a laugh. "And afterwards, my skin returned to being flawless. I was free to wear crop tops again."

"Alright. Well uh, I appreciate that, Jess."

"No worries, Lex...Still though, I can't believe Noël would do something like that. Especially to you..."

"Well, i-it's no big deal. We've buried the hatchet since then, got rid of all our bad blood...So, does that mean you're gonna stop loving on her so much?"

"I don't know, man," she sighed, looking genuinely conflicted. "I mean, she's such a cutie pie and I love her to death, but...at the same time, you're my best pal...But if I guess if you forgive her, then I can as well."

"That's probably for the best," said Alexia with a smile.

"Yeah...yeah, for everyone..."

By this point, Jess had taken the exit towards Sandy Shores and cut through a rugged dirt road to save on time. The car then followed the Alamo Sea coastline before taking a road northwards into Grapeseed. Elena's car was not far behind, but hardly visible to Jess through the cloud of dust her tires kicked up.

Jess reached toward her headset, using it to call Elena.

"Hey E, last one to the airfield is a rotten egg!"

 _"Really? We are doing this?"_ Elena admonished her.

"Yeah man! C'mon, let's see what that car can-"

Before Jess could finish her sentence, Elena's Banshee accelerated, quickly overpowering Jess's Buffalo and leaving it in the dust.

 _"H-hey, she's pretty good at this!"_ she heard Noël laugh in amusement.

Soon after the cars passed Grapeseed, the airfield was in sight. Elena's car parked on the other side of the road from the west entrance, while Jess and Alexia elected to cover the east entrance.

Alexia was quick to notice the Vagos gangsters standing guard just within the gates. However, they did not yet seem to notice the girls or their cars.

Jess withdrew the keys from the ignition and gave then to her friend.

"Here, boss. Since I'm taking the plane, you can take this car back to the city. Just uh, be careful with her, okay?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah, no problem, J."

She pocketed the keys, not yet wanting to worry about preserving Jess's car before attending to the matter at hand.

Alexia took a breath to calm her nerves before addressing her crew through her headset

"...Everyone, listen up," she said firmly. "On my signal, we're gonna attack them at the exact same time. Make sure to keep pressure on both sides equally, and move quickly so they won't have time to react. Understood?"

 _"Understood, A,"_ confirmed Elena.

 _"Yeah A, we got this,"_ added Noël.

"Roger that, A," said Jess into her headset, despite the fact that she was right beside Alexia. "Let's get these bastards."

Alexia sighed, brandishing her Special Carbine. Then, she opened her car door and crouched down in cover behind Jess's pink eyesore. Her friend was quick to follow, quickly reloading her machine gun.

Peering down the road, she witnessed Elena and Noël scramble to position as well. In no time, their weapons were loaded, and they were prepared to attack on Alexia's orders. Luckily, the Vagos guards had not questioned the cars parked across from their airfield.

Sweat permeated Alexia's forehead, the result of a recombinant mixture of anxiety and the vicious desert heat pummeling her back.

"...Okay, guys. Lay down fire in 3...2...1...NOW!"

Alexia sprung out of cover, immediately hitting two Vagos in the chest and killing them. The fallen gangsters' friends were quick to react, pelting the pink Buffalo with bullets. However, with Elena and Noël laying down fire on the other side, the hailfire of artillery was much more manageable. She and Jess cleared the entrance of enemies before making a mad dash across the road.

Jess bounded out of the way to avoid a speeding car, whose driver was panicking due to the sound of gunfire.

"Hey! You almost hit me, dickwad!" she shouted in an offended tone.

"J, COME ON!" shouted Alexia, emphasizing the need to continue pushing forward.

Accordingly, she scrambled for cover beside Alexia, helping her to pick off some of the Vagos crowding around the hangar entrance. With the help of Elena and Noël, who had advanced inside the gates as well, they experienced little trouble in taking them out in a hail of machine gun fire.

More Vagos, however, came from areas around the airfield, having heard the gunfire. After the four regrouped in front of the hangar, Alexia shot at the gangsters from long range, while the rest cleared out Vagos remaining around the main hangar.

After scoring a couple of long-range headshots, Alexia came to hear the sound of motor engines, quickly approaching their position. She was quick to notice the dust trails of two cars, which pulled up to the airstrip full of gun-toting occupants.

Alexia was forced to duck down as bullets pelted her position. Her three partners, meanwhile, hurried to seek shelter behind whatever they could find.

"Hey guys, don't worry! I got this!"

From her position, Alexia could see Noël fumbling with something inside her vest; whatever it was, it appeared quite bulky, in stark contrast to the micro-machine guns she usually carried.

It took until the moment Noël pointed her weapon at the entrenched cars that Alexia knew what it was, and her stomach seized in terror.

"STICK THIS UP YOUR ASS!"

The missile ejected from Noël's rocket launcher before colliding into the side of one of the cars, incinerating both it and whoever was beside it.

"Jesus Christ, N!" shouted Alexia in a state of shock. "W-where'd you get that thing?!"

"Uhh, just down the street from your house? C'mon, A, this is America!"

Noël loaded another rocket into the tube before firing it at another car, sending it flying several feet into the air before its charred carcass crashed down into a ditch.

Alexia watched the young girl destroy vehicles, astonished by the sheer destruction. She was as much a supporter of the Second Amendment as anyone, but nonetheless, she did not expect Ammu-Nation to freely sell RPGs to 8-year-olds. Even more troubling was the fact that Noël's was a mini-version of an adult-sized missile launcher, as if one had been explicitly made for young children.

Nonetheless, this gave them the edge they needed to overpower their attackers, even as more Vagos came spilling onto the runway. Their automatic rifles were highly efficient in picking off the gangsters mostly armed with submachine guns.

"Hey guys, I-I'm gonna make a run for the plane!" shouted Jess.

"Go for it, J!" said Alexia. "We've got you covered!"

Jess followed orders, making a mad dash for the plane as bullets panged against the metal walls of the hangar. Alexia was quick to mow down any gangsters who had a clear shot at her friend, who would be completely exposed while controlling the plane.

Climbing into the aircraft, Jess quickly reached under the dash to hotwire it, bringing the Velum's twin-engines to life. The spinning rotors kicked up a whirlwind of dust, temporarily clouding the vision of both her friends and the Vagos.

Jess accelerated out of the hangar and turned left, quickly gaining speed to take off down the tiny runway. As she did, however, two more cars showed up, whose occupants immediately fired upon the craft.

 _"Shit shit shit shit!"_ screamed Jess as one of the cars rammed into the plane's wing, temporarily knocking it off course.

Adjusting for long range, Alexia took a breath before firing upon the two cars, sending both of their drivers keeled over dead. With the vehicles no longer bearing down on her, Jess's plane soared gloriously into the sky, banking left toward the Alamo Sea.

On the ground, gunsmoke wafted through the air around the three girls, who stood catching their breaths after the intense gun battle, looking after Jess's plane as it disappeared into the clouds. Dead bodies littered the ground around them, some of the fallen gangsters still clutching their weapons. Elena freely took the opportunity to quickly loot the bodies, pocketing cash, ammo, and anything else of value.

Alexia, meanwhile, was much too exhausted to partake in this activity. She wiped sweat from her brow before turning to her partners.

"Alright guys, good job today. Let's go ahead and split up before the cops show, meet back at my place tomorrow morning for the next set-up.

"Affirmative, A," said Elena. "I will see you there...N, are you riding with me?"

"Uhh no, I'm heading back with A, actually," she said, stepping closer to her partner.

Elena nodded, her eyes as cold as ever.

"Very well...You two be careful."

"You too, E," smiled Alexia. "I'll see you later."

Elena rushed off to her Banshee, speeding off away from the massacre site and back towards the city.

Noël cleared her throat.

"Alright, so uh...I guess let's head to Lamar's house and then back to your place."

"Right. We're taking Jess's car, by the way."

"Oh, really?" she said, with noticeable disdain. "...Well in that case, you can drive. I really don't wanna catch her crazy."

Alexia laughed.

"Jess isn't crazy, she just...sees things differently from a lot of people."

"Yeahh, that just sounds like a nicer definition of 'crazy' to me."

"Just give her some time, Noël. I-I think you'll grow to like her eventually."

"Like her?"

Noël scoffed, as if to question if Alexia had actually meant these words. Then, without saying anything else, she trudged over to Jess's pink Buffalo, climbing into the passenger seat while Alexia took the steering wheel. The sports car's engine roared to life ferociously before Alexia accelerated, performing a tight U-turn in order to head south.

Just barely visible were the lights of police cars and ambulances, first responders to the grisly scene at McKenzie Field. Alexia leaned back in her seat, watching as the sun set in the west, its brilliant pink-orange glow reflected off the tepid waters of the Alamo Sea.

Wanting to check up on Jess's status, she reached back toward her earpiece.

"Hey J, how you doing up there?"

 _"Ooooh, Lexi, I can see my house from up here!"_ she observed. _"...Ooh, there's your house too!"_

Alexia laughed at Jess's childlike persona, even if she was exaggerating just a tad. Noël was less impressed, rolling her eyes and pulling out her phone.

"...Well, uh, fly safe, J. You know where you're taking it right?"

 _"Y-yeah, I think so. That BIG hangar with the Devin Weston sign on it. Y'know, not to sound rash, but with a hangar like that, he's GOT to be compensating for something."_

"Aren't all self-made billionaires though?"

 _"HAH!"_ Jess chuckled, amused by Alexia's joke. _"Yeah, probably...Well uh, I'll see you later A."_

"Take care, J," she said with a smile before hanging up on her friend.

The girl in the passenger seat elected to play a game on her smartphone and not engage in conversation. Alexia sighed, pressing down on the accelerator in order to make a hasty beeline back to Los Santos.

* * *

 **MEANWHILE...**

A bright set of headlights hovered over the tarmac as dusk fell, navigating the brightly-lit runway with ease. With the grace of a swan, the twin-engine Velum touched onto the runway, barely jostling the cockpit with such a perfect landing.

Following instructions from Air Traffic Control, Jess navigated her plane off the runway and towards her designated hangar. There, she saw a couple of mysterious figures, hanging around a couple of equally-shady solid black vehicles. Strangely, however, the mysterious agent was not one of them.

One of the men signaled to Jess with his hands, taxiing the plane into the appropriate spot in the hangar. Once he held up his hand to signal stop, Jess cut power to the engines and climbed out of the cabin, landing with a resilient bounce upon the linoleum floor.

"...So uh, how's she flyin'?" the mysterious man asked her.

"Welllll that depends," she inquired. "Are you guys with that agent-guy-that's-kind-of-a-dick-sometimes-but-that-doesn't-really-matter-because-we're-getting-paid-a-shitload-of-money-at-the-end?"

The two men looked at each other as Jess maintained her curious expression.

"...O-oh, you mean 14," said the man with a laugh. "Yeah. Yeah, we're with him."

"Oh," she nodded. "Well in that case, the plane flies like a dream."

"Awesome. So uh, I guess we'll take it from here then. You can take either of the cars over there to get home."

"W-wait uh, what are you gonna do to it?" she asked.

"Oh y'know, take out some of the electronics, strip the plating to make it less detectable on radar. And uh, check the cargo and see if there's any drugs or other contraband. If there is, we clean those out and distribute them via the black market."

Jess glanced toward the plane, eyeing the back of the cargo hold in particular. The aircraft had flown so smoothly during the journey that she had not even noticed the presence of any illegal cargo aboard, including drugs.

Not wanting to take the risk of finding out what the plane was transporting, Jess cleared her throat, excusing herself from their presence.

"Well uh...y-you guys have fun with that, I guess. Peace out."

"Bye now."

Jess bounced across the hangar with quick steps, climbing into the drivers' seat of a sleek black Comet.

Through her side mirrors, she could see one of the men immediately beginning work on the plane with a blowtorch. The other one reached into the back, pulling out a cumbersome wooden crate marked 'fragile'.

She quickly glanced away from the cargo and started the engine, heading out of the airport and merging into the dense traffic that permeated its concrete grounds. She swerved about cars and changed lanes erratically in the sea of headlights, heading north back to the comfort of her palatial mansion house.


	28. The Prison Break: Bus

**Hello again, friends. You might notice that this chapter is a bit shorter than what I usually write, but I feel that this is necessary. For the setups, I'm gonna try and pack as much action as I can into as few words as possible. Because after all, I wanna get to the epic finale as fast as I can.**

 **I'm so excited, in fact, that I'm gonna keep the intro short as well. So just sit back, relax, grab some popcorn, some self-restraint, and enjoy this thing, my dude.**

* * *

Alexia banged forcefully on the door, demanding to be let into the bathroom that Noël had claimed has her own.

"Hey! Could you hurry up, please?"

 _"Y-yeah, just give me a minute!"_

"You've been in there for forty-five minutes!" she groaned. "C'mon, I really have to go!"

 _"A girl has to take her time looking pretty,"_ retorted the small girl, who Alexia could picture grinning devilishly behind the door. _"These pigtails aren't gonna braid themselves!"_

"OH MY GOD!" she yelled. "You've just been doing your hair all this time?!"

 _"Well, yeah."_

"DO IT OUTSIDE!"

Noël sighed.

 _"Fine, but you're seriously messing up my routine."_

The little girl unlocked the door and stepped out of the bathroom, her hair still mid-braid, prompting Alexia to rush in to relieve her bladder.

Noël scoffed as she sat down on Alexia's bed and resumed braiding her elbow-length pigtails, using the camera on her phone as a mirror.

It had not even been a full day since she had moved in with Alexia, but already they were getting under each other's skin. Even with Noël sleeping on the couch upstairs and Alexia on the bed downstairs, the little girl's antics had already grated her to end. The previous night, Noël's selection of obnoxious pop music had been blasting at full volume as Alexia had been attempting to sleep. Asking her to turn it down resulted in a pouty glare being directed towards her by the little girl, who was freely chowing down on her pantry's supply of junk food and not cleaning up her crumbs.

Alexia had not considered how utterly undisciplined she was before offering to let Noël live with her. Even though their relations were more friendly, this did not reverse Noël's inherent selfishness that was all but expected of a small child.

The girl's lack of manners exasperated Alexia to no end. However, she realized that she truly had no other place to go, and so it was her responsibility as a friend to take her in during her time of need. Still, she would have to enforce some basic household rules to prevent from being driven insane by her callous lack of civility.

Noël grumbled as she twisted her pigtails into fine golden French braids. Before she was interrupted, she had applied some of Alexia's makeup to her own face (without her permission of course) and dressed in a frilly sleeved dress that puffed out just above her knees. The girl resented having to share a living space and especially a bathroom, but she reasoned that it was only temporary: once the job was pulled, she would have enough money, combined with her winnings from street races, to easily buy her own apartment.

As she brushed her golden locks of hair, she heard the doorbell ring. Seeing as Alexia was in the bathroom, she stood up from the bed and ventured upstairs to answer the door.

Greeting her was the ever-enthusiastic blonde girl she had met yesterday, accompanied by the stone-faced Russian woman.

"Hey, Noël!" Jess shouted. "Wassup, girl?"

"Hello, Noël," added Elena.

"Hey, guys," she sighed. "Alexia's in the bathroom, so come on in."

The two women entered, and Noël shut the door behind them.

"Say Noël," questioned Jess. "How'd you get here so early anyway? You were here before us last time too."

Noël grimaced. The last thing she wanted was for Jess to find out that she was living with Alexia. She glanced anxiously over at the blankets and pillows on the couch where she had slept, and directed Jess's attention away.

"Hey, don't get pissy just because I'm a pro street racer, alright? I probably drive, like, 10 times better than both of you."

"O-of course, of course," said Jess with a smile. "My mistake...Say, Lexi still has my car right?"

Noël nodded, remembering that she had left it in her garage.

"Welll, how'd you like to drive it today? My treat."

"No, no I'm good..."

"C'monnnn," she whined. "I know you're not gonna wreck it or anything, seeing as you're a pro street racer and all."

Noël growled ferociously, as Jess had put her in a tight spot to prove her worth as a good driver.

"Gah, FINE! Fucking hell..."

"Awwh!" Jess exclaimed, holding a hand to her chest. "Noël, you are just the cutest little thing-"

"DON'T fucking hug me!" she menaced, holding her arm back as she swooped in for a hug.

Jess consented, smiling meekly before backing off.

Elena sighed.

"You two, could we please just get along? This is impeding our progress."

"Yeah, Noël. I'm just trying to be nice."

"Well maybe I don't want you to be nice!" snapped Noël. "I want you to just leave me the fuck alone! I swear, I would like you so much better if you were more like...l-like Elena, over there!"

"Me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! You're completely emotionless most of the time, so you don't really have the ability to piss me off. And on top of that, you usually just stand in the corner silently! Completely unobtrusive and definitely NOT annoying as shit!"

"I'm...really not sure if I should take that as a compliment."

"That doesn't matter! My point is that I actually sort of like you!"

"Be more like Elena, huh?" pondered Jess. "...Hey Elena, would you mind if I used a thick Russian accent in front of you?"

"Yes, yes I would."

"Well, okay...M-maybe when you're not around then."

Elena glanced at Jess skeptically, before looking away.

The crew's attention deflected to Alexia bounding back up the steps.

"'Morning, boss," Jess greeted her.

"Good morning, everyone...Let's, uh, go ahead and talk logistics, shall we?"

Alexia, trying her best to talk in a professional-sounding voice, led her team into the heist room. She had studied the plans beforehand and had prepared a plan to present to her crew.

She cleared her throat before beginning.

"...Alright, so we're hitting an active prisoner transport that's supposed to leave Bolingbroke at 10 AM sharp. Based on the agent's notes, this inmate is of pretty high status, so he's gonna have a huge convoy protecting him, probably consisting of cars and possibly even choppers."

"Oo-ooh, I can take care of the chopper!" said Jess eagerly. "A couple sticky bombs should take it right out of the sky."

"Yeahh, a slow-moving bus won't stand a chance in hell against a chopper...So the question is, who's gonna drive it?"

"Wellll Noël already called driving my car over there."

"BULLSHIT!" screamed Noël. "You practically coerced me into it!"

"Actually Noël, that's probably best," said Alexia. "You, uh, might not be big enough to fit in the drivers' seat of the bus."

"Nah, nah, I've got a way past that, A. Check this out..."

Noël leaned against a wall, taking off one of her heeled shoes. Then, she demonstrated to the others as she pulled the heel down, expanding it to as much as 6 longer than it normally would be.

"Whoaaa..." exclaimed Jess.

The little girl pushed the heel back in place, putting her shoe back on.

"A little trick I picked up in the mental institution. I used to model my heels into knives, but now I make retractable ones so I can reach the pedals of big vehicles."

"Yeah, well that's a nice touch, Noël. But we're gonna have to move quickly in securing the bus and getting away from the cops, and I'm afraid that might slow us down. I'm sure that'd be uh...very useful later though."

"I can take the bus, Alexia," spoke Elena.

"Thank you, Elena...Noël, you can provide me and Jess maneuverability as we shoot from the car. Lord knows we're gonna need your driving skills in this op."

"And your shooting skills, Lexi," added Jess.

"And your, uh...explosive capabilities, Jessamine," said Elena.

"And your toughness, Elena," contributed Noël.

The four looked at each other after completing the sentence so effortlessly. Perhaps they were meant to be a team, after all.

"...Yeah, well...Everyone's pretty important here," conceded Alexia. "I mean, if just one of us goes down, the whole thing is blown. There's no way we could proceed."

"You don't think you could get someone else?" questioned Noël.

"Well...no. I'm saying they'd trace you back to us, and we'd all have to go into hiding. No prison break, no big paycheck."

"Well, I want my fucking paycheck!" piped Jess. "So let's go out there and NOT get captured or killed, girls, what do you say?!"

"That's quite an honest rallying cry," remarked Elena.

"Yeah, but...shit, I can agree to that."

Alexia placed her hand on top of Jess's in a show of support. Her friend smiled in return.

"Alright guys, the boss is on board! What about you?"

Elena and Noël shrugged in unison.

"I-I mean..." Noël started, before sighing in resignation. "Graah, sure. Whatever."

Noël joined the others in the hand pile, making sure to position hers as far away from Jess's as possible.

"O-okay, okay, on the count of three!" shouted Jess excitedly. "One, two-!"

"Wait, WHAT'S on the count of three?!"

Jess opened her mouth to answer Noël, but found herself suddenly unsure of what she wanted to cheer to.

"Uhm...Fuck man, I guess we have to come up with, like...a name for our organization."

"A name?" derided Noël. "Are you serious?"

"We are just four people, Jessamine," added Elena. "That is hardly an organization."

"Yeahh, but...a name to our criminal partnership might help us feel more united as a group."

"Well alright, I'm game," said Alexia. "How about something like...Kickass Incorporated?"

"Trevor already has a hold on the whole 'incorporated' gimmick," said Jess with shifty eyes. "And I really don't wanna face him again."

"Hmm, good point, J."

"Trevor? Who's Trevor?" Noël asked.

"Oh, just this meth dealer up in Sandy Shores who kidnapped me and J before having us join his company - 'Trevor Philips Industries', as he calls it."

"Hmm, sounds like a real charmer, A."

"He wasn't bad. He just likes to act all crazy and menacing to make people afraid of him. But I'm sure he's at least...semi-decent underneath that grimy exterior."

"I commend your efforts to appreciate the good in humanity, A," opined Elena. "...As long as you know who is worthy of receiving this judgement."

"I always try, E."

"W-wait a minute, wait a minute..." halted Jess. "...Oh my God, I got it!"

Jess looked rabidly excited as she pointed at herself, and then at her other crew members.

"J...A...N...and E! It's so perfect!"

"What...Jane?" questioned Alexia.

"Yeah, man, J.A.N.E! I-it represents us all in the name, since we go by our first initials. And also, the name J.A.N.E kinda goes well with an all-female criminal gang, am I right?"

The crew members nodded slowly, gaining interest in Jess's idea.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I like that name actually. J.A.N.E..."

"Like a Jane Doe," said Noël with a sly smile. "...Because if you fuck with us, they won't even be able to identify the body."

"Oooooh, yeah, I like that, N!" Jess clapped. "...Well, how about it guys? Can I get a cheer for J.A.N.E?"

The girls all looked at one another, nodding to affirm their commitment to the partnership under the moniker 'J.A.N.E'. They placed their hands on top of Jess's, who beamed at having come up with such a name to unite the group.

"Alright, J.A.N.E on three! One, two, three!"

 _ **"J.A.N.E!"**_ they all shouted in unison.

"Fuck yeah, and don't let nobody forget it!" cheered Jess.

Looking to capitalize on her crew's spurt of excitement (thanks to Jess's efforts), Alexia stepped toward the door to the heist room.

"Alright, so let's kick some ass, ladies!" she said, trying to match Jess's tone. "Let the whole world know that J.A.N.E cannot be stopped!"

"Woop-woop!" cheered Jess. "C'mon, Noël, let's go!"

Without warning, she picked up Noël off the ground, swaddling her in her arms as she carried her out of the apartment. Despite the little girl's vehement expletive-laden protests and squirming to free herself, Jess whisked her away to the elevator, Elena and Alexia following.

When the team reached Jess's car, she placed the little girl gingerly in the drivers' seat before scurrying to the bakcseat. Elena, as the designated driver of the prison bus, took a seat up front.

Noël breathed through her teeth, trying to calm herself as she turned the ignition and sped out of the parking garage.

True to the professional street racer she was, the little girl maneuvered Jess's car effortlessly through traffic. Even Jess was impressed by how well she handled her car's muscle.

"Ooooh, say N, you're pretty good at this," she said with a friendly grin.

Noël growled a response while maintaining a sour expression, looking away from Jess. Deducing that the little girl was angry with her after her latest embarrassment, Jess leaned back into her seat and turned to Alexia, who sat loading her AP Pistol. The gun remained one of Alexia's most preferred in combat, especially when shooting from car windows.

Looking towards Elena did not reveal an opportunity for conversation: she sat loading her weapon as well, a tricked-out pump action shotgun adorned with a military-style camo and a welded suppressor.

Realizing that they had a long drive ahead, Jess sighed, tapping on her smartphone to occupy the time.

"...So uh, here we all are..." said Jess to break the crushing silence. "...How are we feeling about this?"

"Y'know, I'm feeling pretty good actually," remarked Alexia as she pushed a loaded clip into her pistol. "Sure we're going up against police officers, but we'll be wearing masks so they won't recognize us."

"Masks?" asked Noël. "You didn't mention we had to get masks."

"Don't worry, I've got some right here."

Alexia reached into her purse and pulled out the aforementioned masks, matching black ski masks that she handed to each of her crew members.

"I uh, took the liberty of preserving your modified mask, Noël."

Alexia pulled out the girl's glitter-adorned mask, setting it beside her in the drivers' seat.

"Hmm, interesting," she remarked with a light smile. "So I'm not the leader, but I get to be the one that stands out anyway."

"Well to be fair, N, you stand out as it is," said Elena, not removing her eyes from her shotgun.

"Huh? W-what do you mean?"

"She means that we're all adults," chimed Jess. "And you're, uh...obviously the smallest and cutest of all of us."

"I AM NOT CUTE!" screeched Noël.

Jess snickered mischievously.

"Y'know, the more you deny it, the cuter it becomes."

Noël steamed with anger, growling viciously at Jess. She looked toward the woman in her rearview mirror, who retained a goofy smile at the furious little girl.

"...Y'know, you'd better count yourself lucky we're on the same job together," she glowered. "Because otherwise, I would fucking END YOU."

"Aww, Noël..." Jess responded, her smile fading somewhat. "...You don't mean that, do you?"

"Try me again, and you'll fucking see."

"H-hold on, hold on," halted Alexia. "No one's ending anybody, not on my watch...C'mon, guys, we're all in this together. We're J.A.N.E, goddammit! Nobody can stop us."

"Uh, Lex, we've only done one mission together," Noël corrected. "How does that prove we can't be stopped?"

"Because I have faith in us...Sure we haven't had a chance to prove ourselves yet, but...all the same, I've had the opportunity to do jobs with each of you separately. I've seen how you all act under pressure, what your strengths and weaknesses are...For example, even though Jess is a skilled pilot, she can also get pretty distracted at times."

"Yeahh, that's true," she admitted with a sheepish smile.

"And you, Elena. You're awesome at close-quarters combat and giving off a no-nonsense attitude, but this same stoic demeanor can also make you seem kinda...annoyed and impersonal with us at times. N-no offense."

"None taken," responded Elena as she filed her nails.

"Hey, I'd take that over distracted and annoying any day," chided Noël.

"Speaking of distracted, Noël..."

Alexia looked to Noël, who simply shrugged in response.

"...What? How am I distracted?"

"Because you're kind of a hothead sometimes, N," said Jess. "But a cute hothead nonetheless-"

"I did NOT ask you!" hissed Noël.

"J is right though, Noël," Alexia stated plainly. "Sometimes your anger can be put to good use, like when you blew up those Vagos yesterday. But other times, your hostility makes it...kinda difficult to work with you sometimes. I'm sure you remember how difficult it was between us at first."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" retorted Noël. "You're acting like my anger is unprovoked, when that's clearly not the case."

"Which is why you hated me based solely on my haircut initially."

Alexia crossed her arms over her cest and waited for a response from Noël, who pulled nervously at her collar.

"...W-well, uh...Okay, you've made your point. But that doesn't excuse J treating me like some stupid kid."

"That's not what I'm doing, N," said Jess with a friendly smile. "I love you, girl."

"I realize you want only to express your caring, Jessamine," expressed Elena. "But...believe me when I say that some people just prefer to express their feelings in a different way. However impartially I may act, I am still dedicated to our team...J.A.N.E, as it's now called. Even though I may not prefer more affectionate displays, I care for you all as my teammates and my friends nonetheless."

The car remained silent fot a moment. Alexia opened her mouth to speak, but found that Elena had summed up her intended points quite well.

"...Okay, seriously, I'm liking you more just listening to you talk, E," stated an impressed Noël. "Unlike J, who I just despise the more she blabs on."

"I see..." thought Elena. "So, would you start to like J if she just...talked less?"

The little girl frowned heavily, avoiding eye contact with anyone in the car.

"...Yeah, sure," she muttered. "A-and treat me like a fucking adult too!"

"Very well. So J, do those sound like easy terms for you?"

"Talk less and treat you like an adult..." repeated Jess. "...N, I-I really want you to like me, okay? I'll do whatever it takes, even if it involves sewing my lips shut or something."

"Hmm, y'know that's not a bad idea..." remarked Noël. "...A, do I have your permission to-"

"No," said Alexia with a dismissive shake of her head.

"Maybe just some superglue to-?"

"No."

"Agh, fine then," she griped, directing her attention back toward the highway.

Taking the exit toward Sandy Shores, Noël took a side road that led to the gates of the prison. She made sure to stop the car in some bushes, where they wouldn't be spotted by the convoy despite the car's vibrant pink coloring.

Alexia glanced at her phone, confirming the time as 9:59 AM. The convoy was due to arrive within the minute. Nonetheless, she put on a resolute face; the heist leader was determined to face anything, even the Blaine County Police Department, if it meant leading her crew to victory.

She looked to Jess, who wielded an AP pistol as well. Meeting her gaze, Jess smiled and patted Alexia's knee. As always, she was determined to help calm her friend's nerves and to instill some confidence in her, which would undoubtedly help prepare her for the position of crew leader.

Alexia smiled in return, resting her hand on top of Jess's. Noël, witnessing the scene through her rearview mirror, grinned deviously, as she knew she could use this tender moment in her argument challenging the two friends' sexualities.

Down the road, the girls witnessed the iron gates of Bolingbroke roll open, and an assortment of vehicles issue from its iron-clad visage. One of these was their target, a navy-blue passenger bus used to transport prisoners to and from Bolingbroke. As the bus rumbled by, it was flanked by two other police cars and an all-black Buffalo, which Alexia knew enough to contain plain-clothes police officers.

The girls ducked down in their seats as the convoy passed. Luckily, they did not seem to notice Jess's pink car behind the brush Noël had parked in. However, another vehicle soon manifested, a police helicopter who could easily spot Jess's car from a bird's-eye point of view.

Peeking up and witnessing the chopper, Alexia tensed up, hoping it wouldn't see them. Luckily, it passed by and proceeded to hover behind the convoy, acting as an airborne guardian for the bus and ground officers.

Seeing as they were in the clear, the girls quickly donned their ski masks. Noël started the engine and proceeded toward the convoy. At the same time, Jess readied the two sticky bombs she would use to down the chopper.

She snickered mischievously before rolling down her window, taking aim at the chopper floating tantalizingly above the road.

"...THIS IS A GIFT FROM J.A.N.E, BITCH!"

Jess threw her arm back and chucked the sticky bombs as far as they could possibly go. While the bombs were unsuccessful in landing on the chopper, Jess detonated the explosives in mid-air so that the blast radius knocked out the chopper's engines, sending into a death spiral.

"YEAHAHAH, get some, pigs!"

It was at this moment that Jess realized that the chopper was hurtling straight toward them as it spun to the ground.

"Oh fuck!" she exclaimed. "G-go left, N!"

Noël swerved off the road to avoid the chopper as it crashed to the ground and exploded violently in a cloud of gasoline smoke and desert sand.

The occupants of the pink Buffalo felt the ground shake beneath them, followed by the violent thwacks of bullets against the car's exterior. The two Blaine County patrol cars stayed near the bus to protect it, while the unmarked police Buffalo dropped behind and opened fire on the attackers. Alexia and Jess engaged with their AP pistols to counter the police officers' SMG fire.

Elena bravely stuck her upper body out of the window and took aim with her pump-action shotgun. She fired at the car's windshield, immediately killing the driver and gravely wounding the officer in the front passenger seat. Alexia and Jess continued to shoot at the car as it rolled off the road and into a ditch.

With the Buffalo down, the girls unleashed hell upon the patrol cars guarding the bus, while simultaneously being careful not to hit the bus itself and risk forfeiting their paycheck. Noël concentrated fiercely as she drove, getting her friends close enough so that they could kill the police officers in a glorious cannonade of automatic rounds and shotgun slugs.

Eventually, the patrol cars were taken care of, but the driver of the bus continued to drive erratically, running an intersection and forcing two cars to collide with each other. Noël skillfully avoided the crash with a heavy-handed swerve.

Alexia took aim at the back window of the bus, witnessing the shadow of the driver. With a breath, she let a couple of bullets fly, which shattered the windshield and entered the man's skull, causing him to keel over dead. The bus veered off the road before coming to rest on the side of the road.

Hearing a veritable army of police cars approaching, Noël quickly pulled up beside the bus, allowing Elena to exit and open the door to the bus. Inside, however, she encountered a visibly-frightened man clad in a white tank top and prison trousers. He looked at Elena fearfully, fearing that he was next.

"Ohh fuck, I knew they would come for me!" he shouted in a foreign accent. "You are with the Ukrainians, yes?"

"Wha...? G-get the hell out of here, man!"

"So you're not-"

"No, so leave! Now!"

The man complied with Elena's orders, hopping off the bus and into the desert, away from the incoming police sirens. She wasted no time in pulling the dead driver from his seat and tossing him callously to the dirt. Afterwards, she commandeered the bus and drove it down the road. Half a dozen police cars followed in an attempt to take it back.

Alexia and Jess did their best to fight off the hoard, who gathered around the pink car in order to overpower it.

 _"Engaging evasive maneuvers, A!"_ shouted Elena. _"Taking the bus offroad!"_

"Roger that, E. Just don't get it stuck in anything."

 _"Don't worry, I've driven tanks through Afghanistan before. I know what I'm doing."_

"Tanks, really?" stated an impressed Jess as she fired at the police. "Damn E, you're pretty awesome!"

Elena did not respond, instead veering off the road and taking the bus up a short hill. The pink Buffalo followed, fending off any police cars who dared to chase after them.

The bus ventured through Senora National Park, taking a hiking trail to navigate the jutting rock formations and sand dunes. Hikers barely had time to scramble for cover as the bus roared down the dirt path, and the pink car following it dispersed a legion of police cars with automatic gunfire.

Once the last patrol car had been taken care of, Elena continued driving offroad. The resonance of police sirens rang eerily through the blistering desert air, forcing the members of J.A.N.E to watch out for any police cars that may spot them as they meandered through the desert, away from law enforcement's sight lines.

A sharp pang of static suddenly invaded Alexia's eardrum.

 _"You got the bus?"_

"Agh! Fuck man, would you stop doing that?"

 _"There's a shed across from the prison where you can store it,"_ said the agent, ignoring her. _"One of my people will be waiting."_

"Across from the prison, are you serious?" questioned Alexia. "H-how the hell are we gonna keep it hidden?"

 _"You can leave that to me, heist leader. Just focus on not getting yourself and your crew killed. Over."_

The agent hung up, leaving Alexia and the crew greatly annoyed. By this point though, the police had stopped looking for the stolen bus. The sound of sirens gradually weakened as patrol cars retreated back to the local dispatch station.

The crew breathed a collective sigh of relief. The second setup had been completed successfully, meaning they were one step closer to receiving their hefty paycheck.

"...Alright, E. Let's get the bus in storage."

 _"Roger that, A. When shall we do the next setup?"_

The occupants of the car looked to their leader in anticipation, meaning that she had to make a quick decision. This time, though, she was prepared enough to not let the anxiety inside her prevent her from addressing her crew in a professional manner. She took a breath, looking her crewmates in the eyes as she spoke.

"...Okay, the next setup's gonna be stealing the inmate transfer schedule and the Professor's car. That'll probably be done best under cover of darkness, so let's do it tonight. Meet back at the apartment at 7."

"Sounds like a plan, boss," Jess grinned, immensely proud of her introverted friend.

"The professor's car, eh?" asked Noël. "Can I, uh, take point on that, A."

"Sure thing, N. I don't think you could dress up as a cop anyway."

"Did you say...dress up?" asked Jess eagerly.

"Yeah, I looked over the agent's plans; he wants two of us to disguise ourselves as cops and infiltrate the police station in South L.S."

"Ohh, me and you could totally do that!" she squealed. "...I-I mean, unless Elena wants to-"

 _"Uhm, I think I'm good, actually,"_ stated Elena. _"I will go with N to steal the car."_

"Alright, the car's gonna be on a container ship at the port," Alexia informed them. "The plans mentioned something about a Korean car theft ring, so you'll probably face heavy resistance."

"Ahh, more Koreans is nothing," dismissed Noël. "You remember how we massacred those guys in the parking garage. Well, me mostly, anyway."

"Yeahh, I'm just saying to be careful anyway."

 _"We will, A,"_ assured Elena.

"YEAHAH!" cheered Jess. "For J.A.N.E, mothafuckas!"

"Yeah, J.A.N.E: a subsidiary of the fucking IAA," joked Noël.

"That's not true, N. Sure, the government might be paying us to do their dirty work, but J.A.N.E has only its members' best interests at heart. Because after all...y-you can't have J.A.N.E without a J, an A, an N, and an E, am I right ladies?!"

"Damn right, J," Alexia smirked before high-fiving her friend.

"WOOP-WOOP! Gimme some, N!"

Jess stretched out her palm for Noël, whose narrowed eyes remained directed toward the road.

"Aww come on, man, don't leave me hanging!"

The little girl growled in frustration before slapping Jess's hand, if only to quiet the obnoxious girl shout-talking behind her.

Meanwhile, the bus approached the derelict shed in Sandy Shores which sat directly across from Bolingbroke State Penitentiary. The pink car followed at a fair distance, watching as Elena exited the bus and met with one of the agent's assistants, the same man who had greeted Jess the previous night.

"Hmm, nice work," he commended. "Barely a scratch on her...Well, alright, we'll take care of this."

Elena nodded wordlessly before walking away.

She headed toward the pink sports car and climbed back into the passenger seat. As soon as the car accelerated, she lit up a cigarette, rolling up the window so that the smoke drifted aimlessly into the desert air.

Noël found herself starting to like Elena even more, based solely on her pure coolness factor. With her leather ensemble, expressionless frown, and the way she casually smoked her cigarette, the little girl wanted to do more jobs with Elena, especially if it meant not doing jobs with Jess.

The members of J.A.N.E rode back to the city, enveloped simultaneously in the silence of victory and the anxious reticence of preparing for such a big score.


	29. The Prison Break: Station

Within the heist room in Alexia's apartment, four girls were busy at work, changing into appropriate attire for their assigned roles and preparing the weapons they were to be carrying.

Jess and Alexia slipped on their police uniforms, which the agent had left for them in a duffel bag. They looked impressively like the real thing, with even a pair of aviator sunglasses provided for each of them. A walkie-talkie, pistol, and a pair of handcuffs protruded from the holsters on their trousers.

"What do you think, Lexi?" asked Jess. "Do I look like I'm gonna give you a ticket for running a yellow light?"

"Yeah," said Alexia with a laugh. "You look like you'd shoot me for lightly bumping into your patrol car."

"Nah, nah, I'd only do that if you were in a minority group."

"Sounds like the LSPD to me," commented Elena as she loaded her Combat MG rifle.

Alexia looked toward Noël, who leaned against a far wall wielding an SMG. She had slipped on a bulky set of armor over her frilly dress, which protruded like a turtle shell on her tiny body.

The little girl met Alexia's gaze. She smiled comfortingly at her partner.

"You ready for this, N?"

She huffed, gazing down at her weapon.

"Shit, I just wanna drive the Professor's car. It's got to be a good one, if the Koreans want it so much."

"Hell, it could be a station wagon for all I know," sighed Alexia. "But the way I see it, the car is like leverage - the agency gives it back to him after he gives them the information they're after."

"Yeahh, I don't like how he's keeping us in the dark about that," said Jess. "Like, don't we have a right to know what we're risking our fucking lives for?"

"In some cases, J, it's best to not know the whole truth," added Elena emotionlessly. "It might, uh...entangle us in something we do not want to be a part of."

"Well sure, but...What if Rashkovsky wants to start the nuclear apocalypse or something?"

"I doubt that. The agency might engage in covert terrorism, but it would not outright destroy the United States...At least not intentionally."

"You should read about the New World Order, E," said Jess seriously as she straightened her top. "Destroy the Earth, then repopulate it with a race of aliens. I-in fact, next time the agent comes in here, I'm gonna look and see if he's really human."

"Don't do that, Jess," said Alexia sternly. "We need the agent to pay us at the end of this."

"Seriously Lexi, look for the gills on the neck," warned Jess. "That's how you know."

"Jess, did you forget to take your meds again?"

"No..." she pouted. "...Just a little bit."

Alexia sighed, heading to the door of the heist room.

"Okay, so we're all good right? Anyone have any questions?"

Jess immediately raised her hand.

"That DON'T concern aliens."

She slowly lowered her hand. Neither Elena nor Noël raised their hands in her place.

"...Alright then. So, uh, after this is done, I think we'll be good to go on the heist. I don't think there's anything else we need to-"

 _"Correction."_

Before Alexia could finish her sentence, the heist door opened, and Agent 14 stepped briskly inside.

"There's actually one more thing I need you to do before we move on Bolingbroke. Some loose ends that need tying up."

"For God's sakes, Agent, you ever heard of knocking?" scolded Alexia.

"Yeah! If you'd walked in here like a minute earlier, you would've seen us changing!" charged Jess. "You would've seen my undies, bro!"

"Well excuse me then, but I've got way too much shit to worry about right now and a crunched time-frame to adhere to," remarked the agent without looking at her. "So let's stay focused for now."

Instead, the agent dutifully went to work with his marker, adding another step below the setup they were currently performing. In no time, he was done. He turned to face his field agents and inform them of this extra setup they were to perform.

"Alright, so these loose ends are gonna be two lawyers - Josh Sherman and Gavin Van Der Loop. Not sure if I told you this initially, but our dear old Professor is currently facing more charges related to his pharmaceuticals company, and our two targets happen to possess damning evidence in the form of a dossier. So, two of you go to City Hall, kill the lawyers with coordinated sniper shots, steal the dossier and bring it back here. Now, the other two take care of our third and final loose end, Mr. Dima Popov. Former partner and current pain-in-the-ass to the Professor. He owns a mansion in Richman Glen. Sending the address to your phones...now."

All four girls simultaneously received a text message from an unknown number, even though the agent's hands remained casually by his sides.

"The fuck...?" said Noël.

"Mr. Popov, by now, is mostly nuts and completely paranoid," the agent continued. "So much so that he's hired armed guards to watch his house at all times. However, we believe that two of you can handle it, especially if you try and go in quietly. But, y'know, do it however you want, as long as you're not maimed, killed, or God forbid captured before we move on the prison. So any, uh, questions?"

The agent looked up and suddenly noticed Jess staring intently at the side of his neck, looking for any signs of the gills that marked snake-headed aliens.

"...What the fuck? What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," she quickly replied.

The agent sighed, electing not to question Jess's inherent strangeness.

"...Well okay, if there's no questions, then I guess I'll leave you to your current setup. Once we get the inmate transfer schedule we can set a date for the prison break once Rashkovsky's car is collected and the three loose ends are all terminated. And uh, yeah, we should be good to go. So, get to it."

The agent left, leaving the girls with the same bitter taste they had experienced in their previous interactions.

"...Okay, guys, did you see how defensive he got?" stated Jess. "I-I didn't see any gills, but he might be-"

"Jess, he's NOT an alien," said Alexia. "...He's just an asshole. But nonetheless, he's the asshole we're working for. Now, can we _please_ move on with this fucking thing?"

Alexia's eyes were narrowed, and it was obvious that she was in a rather irritable mood. Aiming to quiet her friend's many anxieties that she must be experiencing as heist leader, Jess nodded affirmatively.

"R-roger that, A. Alright guys, let's get out there and kick some ass!"

"Yeah, while you two had better not get your asses caught in the police station," chided Noël.

"Aw don't worry about us, N. You look after your shit, girlfriend."

"That's what I'm doing. If you go down, we all go down."

"None of us are going down!" shouted Alexia. "Let's just get started on this shit!"

She stomped to the door, and the rest of her crew followed at a reasonable distance to try and avoid their leader's wrath.

Elena summoned her car to the curb and climbed in with Noël. The two sped off, leaving Alexia and Jess in their police uniforms, standing rather awkwardly by each other.

Alexia gave a heavy sigh and turned to her partner.

"I'm, uh...sorry if I seemed like a dick back there, J. I'm not mad at you or anything."

"Aw A, don't even worry about that," shrugged Jess. "Besides, I know you've...kinda got a lot on your shoulders right now."

"That's a bit of an understatement," she lamented. "...One slipup, one little bit of misinformation or bad leadership, and we all fry...I-I try not to let it get to me, but i-it's just..."

"A, you're an awesome fucking leader, man. With a pretty awesome crew to match."

"Yeah, I'm not worried about you guys...If anything, it's me that's gonna send us all down."

"Honestly, I don't believe that," said Jess with firmness. "...I don't believe that at all. I think you're the one that's gonna lead all of us to success. You've led us from descending into a fiery grave with our first two setups, didn't you?"

"Well yeah, but that was partly-"

"It was all of us working together," Jess grinned. "J.A.N.E is like, like one of those giant robots where each member controls a certain part. And you, my friend...are the head of that robot. And we need you to be our head, A. To give us direction, and inspire us to work to our full potential."

Alexia smiled faintly, appreciating Jess's ever-present desire to see her happy.

"...Here, I know what'll cheer you up."

Jess withdrew her phone and dialed a number. Alexia could see her try to compose herself as she raised the phone to her ear, muffling snickers to keep the recipient from hearing them.

 _"911, what is your emergency?"_

"OHH, please someone hay-ulp me!" cried Jess in an incredibly dramatic Southern accent. "He's comin' after me!"

 _"Ma'am, stay calm. Just tell me what's going on."_

"Well, I was comin' in from mah native Atlanta to visit mah cousin, who it turns out is crazier than a jackrabbit on a county highway in July! Seriously, a-ah didn't know he was a serial rapist and wants to marry me and have mah incest babies, it just came outta nowhere! Now he's chasin' me in front of the..."

Jess glanced quickly to the sign in front of the apartment building.

"...3 Alta Street in Pillbox Hill! Y'know, that luxury buildin' bigger than the windmills on mah daddy's chicken coop!"

Alexia struggled to hold her breath so that the 911 operator would not hear her giggles. Jess, with her years of acting experience, managed to keep a straight face.

 _"Alright, I'm dispatching a patrol car to your location. Help is on the way."_

"Ohh, thank you! A-ah'm not one of those Southerners that's into incest, th-that's just a...a completely disingenuous stereotype."

 _"I understand,"_ addressed the 911 respondent professionally. _"Just stay with me on the phone, we're gonna get you-"_

"OHH NO!" she screamed. "He's got a...a copy of 'Chains of Intimacy'. HELP ME, JESUS!"

Jess hung up, trying to simulate the act of her connection cutting off. Afterwards, she ushered Alexia behind a bush that flanked the skyscraper's main entrance. They crouched together, waiting for their desired patrol car to show up.

A couple of minutes later, the police cruiser pulled up beside the curb with its lights flashing. Two officers exited, scarcely armed except for their service pistols because of the alleged domestic dispute they were responding to.

"Man, this place?" asked one of the officers as he looked up at the huge glowing skyscraper. "Why are these folks arguin', they're livin' the good life up in that nice-ass building."

"Ah, money doesn't buy you happiness, Ray," his friend responded before holstering his pistol. "Just gives you more of a reason to not be happy."

"Like you would know that. We're paid, what, 15 bucks an hour to keep this city safe? Gimme a break."

"It's a thankless job, that's for sure," the officer conceded. "And we don't make nearly enough to live in luxury, but once I get my pension, me and the wife are definitely gettin' a condo in Vice City."

"What makes you think it'll be any better over there?"

"Maybe because Vice City doesn't have all these crazy idiots in animal masks and supercars wreakin' havoc on the streets. They just have the ordinary run-of-the-mill criminals, not these crews with military-style capabilities that run vast enterprises completely unchecked."

"Shit. Okay, you've made your point."

The two advanced to the apartment and, as soon as they were away from the patrol car were riddled with rapid machine gun fire. The bullets disintegrated the officers' weak body armor and left them as two dead, blood-spattered corpses on the curb outside Alexia's apartment.

The two fake police, meanwhile, sprinted toward their desired patrol car, Jess taking the drivers' seat and Alexia sitting beside her. The heist leader looked out toward the two corpses, still leaking blood and piled on top of each other.

"I really wish we didn't have to kill them..."

"And risk the biggest take of our lives?...I say a couple more dead officers ain't worth the risk."

"Y-yeah. I'm sorry, J, I just..."

Alexia stopped mid-sentence. The two heard the desolate wailing of police sirens gunning it toward their position.

Jess sighed, as if this was merely a minor annoyance.

"Okay, I guess there's no way we could've done that quietly."

Jess cranked the engine and sped off down the road.

"Don't worry, I can lose this heat," comforted Jess. "And uh, I'll see to it that no officers make this car either."

"Alright, J. I'll leave you to it."

Knowing that she could not shoot at any pursuing police and risk being identified, she simply had to trust her friend to lose the cops in a timely fashion.

Curious how the docks team was doing, she reached to her headset.

"Hey. You guys alright on your end?"

 _"Yeah, we're entering Port City now,"_ said Noël.

"Alright, cool. When you have the car, deliver it to the place where we left the bus. The agent should have someone there."

 _"Aw man, Sandy Shores?"_ Noël whined. _"That's quite a distance to try and lose a horde of cops and Koreans!"_

"Don't worry, I believe in you guys. Hell, we've made it this far in this crazy-ass scheme, haven't we?"

Jess smiled at her friend, who she could tell was trying to heed to her advice.

 _"Well, yeah..."_ she conceded. _"...Fine, but if I die, please keep J far away from my funeral."_

"What? Why?" asked Jess.

 _"Because I don't trust you to not do funny things to my corpse, you crazy bitch!"_

"N, what kinda person do you think I am?" she feigned being shocked. "I only do funny things to the corpses of _enemies_."

 _"I will see to it that she does not mess with your corpse, N,"_ stated Elena seriously. _"Because I will keep you from turning into one, I can promise you that."_

 _"See, coming from her, I can believe that! Thank you, E."_

 _"Don't mention it. It is part of my obligation to the team...to J.A.N.E."_

Alexia allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Elena's professionalism, as always, was a welcome asset on the team, a metaphysical counter to Jess and Noël's bickering.

She leaned back in her seat as Jess maneuvered into an alleyway, where they decided to wait out the cops.

* * *

Meanwhile, the docks team caught sight of the container ship they were to attack. Elena parked her Banshee behind a stack of shipping containers, where they could not be easily spotted by the gang of Koreans guarding the premises.

Noël cocked her SMG, trying to signal to her partner that she was enthusiastic to get started.

"Alright, let's fucking do this, E!"

"You sound rather excited."

"Well yeah, when you're preparing to do something like kill lots of people and drive a car off a container ship, it'd suit you to at least have a go-ahead attitude about it.

"Yes...it would also suit you to try and look cool, wouldn't it?"

"What? Th-that's not what I..."

Noël found herself laughing nervously, deviating from her desired cool persona. Elena, meanwhile, looked at her partner with her usual deadpan expression, signaling to her that she was not fooled in the slightest.

The little girl gave an exasperated sigh.

"Okay! Yeah, maybe I do do that, but...I-I can't help it, you're just so freakin' cool!"

Elena looked downwards, as if she was unsure of how to respond to this compliment.

"...See, even when you're not doing anything, you're cool as shit!" shouted Noël. "It's no wonder that I kinda want to impress you!"

"Let impressing me be the least of your worries, N," she said seriously. "I would much rather you get along with all of the group than just me."

"Oh come on, you see how J treats me!" she countered.

"J's eccentricities are an enigma, I understand that," Elena nodded. "...But nonetheless, we are all teammates. And as a team, we must trust each other with our lives...So N, would you risk your life if J was somehow in danger?"

"Well, of course I would," she replied curtly. "...So that I can get a paycheck at the end of this."

"Yes, she will help you to get this paycheck...And many more after that as well."

Noël turned to Elena and, as soon as she realized what she was referencing, the little girl seized in terror, chills running down her spine.

"The way I see it, A is wanting to make this a permanent partnership," Elena continued. "Build a name for J.A.N.E across the state...Of course, even if J had never named us that, I still think that A would want us all to continue together, due to her...introverted personality."

"Goddammit, I should've known," sighed Noël. "That agent guy's got to have more jobs lined up for us, right?"

"That was my read of him, yes...But on the other hand, this will ensure we all become very rich. Perhaps even millionaires."

"Whoa, millionaires?!" asked Noël, eyes wide in excitement.

"Yes...And all of it will come from the taxpayers' pockets."

"I don't care if it comes from the ass cheeks of Davey Jones, millions!" shouted a dreamy-eyed Noël. "J-just imagine how many supercars I could buy!"

The little girl swooned, vividly imagining her behind the wheel of a sleek X80 Proto, going twice the speed limit on the interstate as high-octane adrenaline coursed through her tiny body.

When she drifted back to reality, she quickly realized that Elena was still sitting beside her. She cleared her throat, as she still wanted to act composed and cool around her partner.

"...Well, uh...let's do this then, E."

The two exited their car and crouched in the shadows of container stacks to a prime position just across from the ship. Guarding the barnacle-speckled freighter was an entire legion of criminals, patrolling the main deck as well as the grated catwalks above. In addition, a car blocked the entrance, meaning that they could not possibly get onto the ship using stealth.

Elena grimaced, seeing as the setup was less than ideal for an assault: their opponents had the high ground as well as strength in numbers.

 _"...Okay, I can move up to the ship and clear the main deck,"_ she whispered.

 _"Alright. I'll hold back and cover you."_

Elena glanced at Noël's unmodified SMG, which was not built for long-range shooting. Nonetheless, she knew that if the small girl were to go in first, she would not stand a chance in close-quarters combat with these gangsters.

Elena sighed before creeping up the dock, making sure to stay concealed in the shadows. Eventually, she made her way up to the bottom of a crane, out of operation at this time of night. She clicked her weapon, then signaled to Noël, who would follow behind her as soon as the area was clear.

On Elena's hand signal, the two began shooting at the container ship. The guards at the front were killed immediately, giving Elena enough of a break to advance forward. In the process though, bullets rained down on her from above, hitting the pavement in a series of loud thwacks.

Noël shot at the men with her tiny SMG. Despite her weapon's short barrel and limited ammo capacity, she managed to hit a few of the Koreans shooting down at Elena. The tough Russian woman also made short work of the men with her Combat MG. Eventually, the front of the ship was cleared of enemies, and Elena bounded up the ramp that led to the ship's main deck. Noël followed, her tiny legs struggling to keep up with Elena's versatile sprinting.

She advanced through the corridors of the ship with gun pointed in front of her, clearing each area individually before advancing forward. At the end of the main deck was a stack of crates, which the girls reasoned they had to climb in order to reach the top of the stack of containers. Elena performed this task with ease, but Noël, being so little, was unable to clear the first container. She grabbed onto the edge with her fingers, kicking her legs in desperation.

"Agh...a little help!"

Elena heard the girl and promptly turned back. She offered a hand, which Noël took so that she could pull herself up.

"Whew, thanks."

Just then, the two heard cars approaching, no doubt reinforcements called by the Koreans to protect their precious cargo. In addition, they could hear more gangsters above them, running along the containers to their position.

Thinking quickly, Elena promptly switched to her sidearm, a tricked-out machine pistol, before turning to Noël.

"Fuck man, how are we gonna - w-wait, WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"

Without saying a word, Elena lifted the girl off the ground and tossed her over her shoulder. Then, with Noël draped over her shoulder she climbed the containers, making the act look rather effortless even with the extra weight added on.

Elena quickly downed a couple of Koreans close to their position atop the stack before turning her attention down to the criminals firing at them from below. Elena expertly fired her sidearm one-handed while leaping across gaps in the containers. Despite her position of being carried like a sack of potatoes, Noël was still able to use both arms and fire with her SMG, yet struggling to hit anyone with the amount of motion generated by Elena.

Eventually they found a suitable place behind a container, where she quickly put Noël down. Sweat dripped from Elena's face, and she breathed hard in exhaustion, having temporarily depleted her supply of stamina with her mad dash across the containers. While her friend took a quick breather, Noël fired upon the guards in her place.

After catching her breath however, Elena returned to shooting, returning to her Combat MG. Seeing that the gangsters had gotten into cover, she reached into her vest and withdrew a metal pipe bomb. She set the detonator before hurling it from the ship, where it rolled under one of the gangsters' cars.

The vehicle exploded brilliantly, immolating nearby combatants and disorienting several more. Elena and Noël continued to pick off the Koreans, since they were now the ones with the height advantage.

When they were sure all enemy combatants had been taken care of, they let out a collective exhale. They looked to each other briefly, as if to silently congratulate each other on a job well done.

Their eyes then directed themselves toward a container that sat right behind them, painted a conspicuous bright-red color. In addition, a padlock and chain adorned its surface, no doubt insinuating there was something valuable hidden within.

"...Yeah, something tells me that's the container we're after," stated Noël.

"Yes, looks like it," added Elena as she delivered a bullet to the lock, which undid the chain so that she could swing the doors open.

Laying dormant within the crate was a high-value classic sports car, whose shimmering red paint job shone brilliantly in the distant glow of floodlights on the dock.

Noël smiled eagerly, heading towards the car.

"Aw man...A 1958 Casco!" she gleamed. "Only like 12 of these were ever made! And it's in great shape too."

"Yes, this looks like appropriate leverage to me, alright...You drive it, N."

"Really?"

Noël's eyes shone with glee, while Elena silently headed for the passenger seat. Quickly toning down her excitement, she hopped into the drivers' seat, where she found the keys hidden under the dash.

She started the ignition, satisfied by the prominent purr emanating from under the hood. However, she soon picked up on another sound, which manifested as dissonant police sirens headed toward their location.

"You are confident you can lose this heat, N?"

"Yeah, I got this," she proclaimed with a devilish smile. "...Just, uh, hold onto something."

Elena complied, gripping the back of her seat as Noël floored the accelerator. The car sailed gloriously off the ship, Elena holding on for dear life as the howling of police sirens grew ever closer.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a much tamer environment, Jess and Alexia had invaded the South Los Santos police station in their police uniforms and had found the room where the inmate transfer schedule was kept, in plain sight where practically anyone could steal it. The two criminals, in fact, were the only ones in the room with the prized schedule.

Jess, in fact, thought it much too easy, so she touched the paper cautiously a few times, drawing her hand back sharply.

"J, come on..." implored Alexia.

"It could be a trap, A," she said in a hushed voice. "Like in the movies where it's connected to a-"

Alexia brazenly stepped forward and swiped the schedule, to which Jess gasped in surprise. Seeing as no booby traps were deployed by this action, she allowed herself to exhale.

"Dude, that was ballsy," she complimented.

"Really, J, you've got to start taking your meds again."

"Gah, I know," she admitted as she opened the door. "It's like I'm even more distracted than normal-"

"Mmm. Man, these are some good doughnuts," commented an officer to his friend.

"Doughnuts?!"

Jess immediately whisked herself to the location of the doughnuts, Alexia grasping at thin air to stop her. Realizing she had no choice but to follow, she cursed under her breath as her friend stepped up to the two male officers enjoying their box of doughnuts.

"Hey there, fellas," she smiled at them. "Mind if we have some?"

"Nah, go right ahead. I brought these from home anyway."

"'Preciate it."

Jess promptly bent over the box and selected a chocolate-glazed doughnut, which she immediately chowed down on. Alexia picked out a strawberry-filled doughnut, which she nibbled more cautiously in front of the police officers.

One of the men raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Say uh, I don't think I've seen you ladies around before."

"Yeahh, we got transferred from another department," Jess lied fluently. "I'm Officer Hendrix, and this is Officer Knight."

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Officer Blake, and this...burnin' hunk of love is Officer Sanchez."

Officer Sanchez greeted them silently as he chewed his caramel-glazed doughnut.

"Wait, Officer Knight?" he asked with his mouth full. "No relation to Remus Knight?"

Alexia immediately tensed up in fear, but managed to keep her composure. She cleared her throat before answering.

"N-no sir," she smiled meekly.

"Ugh, I swear she got that question all the time at police academy," added Jess. "We graduated together, and we've been friends ever since."

Officer Sanchez gave a snort.

"No kiddin'? So have me and Officer Blake."

"I...mostly don't regret helpin' him pass his written exams."

"Man, you practically helped me cheat. We both coulda been kicked out."

"But we weren't," proclaimed Officer Blake. "Now here we are, eating doughnuts and drinking coffee on the taxpayer dime."

"The true American dream," commented Jess with a laugh.

The two officers chuckled in return.

"Hell, I'll drink to that...why don't you two pull up a chair? Take a load off."

"Or, you could both just sit on my lap," joked Officer Sanchez, patting his knees for effect.

"Whoo, careful Sanchez," laughed his friend. "Remember your sexual harassment training."

"I'm not harassing, man. They clearly have a choice in the matter."

"I appreciate the fraternity, Sanchez," said Jess sarcastically as she pulled up a chair and sat down. "M-maybe when you're working as a mall Santa in a few years."

"Hey man, I'd take that job," joked Sanchez as he poured Jess a coffee. "Probably pays more than this gig anyway."

He handed Jess a styrofoam cup full of black coffee, which she gratefully took. Alexia pulled up a chair beside her friend and was offered a cup of coffee as well. She accepted, holding the cup with both hands and taking small, timid sips of the hot liquid.

"Say Officer Knight, you don't talk very much," commented Officer Blake.

Alexia smiled nervously, pulling at her collar as she thought of a response.

"Ah, she's always been like that."

Jess wrapped an arm around her friend, providing immediate relief to her frayed nerves.

"Back at the academy, she made straight A's on all her exams. And I did well on all the physical parts. So it only made sense that we team up."

"Heh, that's kinda like me and Sanchez. I was the brains, he was the brawn."

"We both got laid plenty though," grinned Officer Sanchez.

Officer Blake chuckled heartily.

"Yeah. Yeah that's true."

"I'm sure Officer Knight can talk though," stated Sanchez, setting down his cup. "What's your story, babe? Where'd you come from?"

"T-the Midwest," she stuttered.

"No kidding? And what are you doing out here?"

Alexia's senses were overwhelmed with fear. Why was the officer questioning her so fervently? Was it because her last name was Knight, and he suspected something was off about her?

In any case, she knew she had to answer him, for fear of confirming his suspicions. Jess held her even tighter to comfort her as she looked Sanchez in the eye.

"I just...wanted to start a new life, y'know? My home life wasn't that great, so I just wanted to get out and make a name for myself...Help people in whatever way I could."

"That's...quite noble of you, Officer Knight," smiled Blake.

Alexia nodded in response before taking another sip of coffee. Since her words were only half-fabricated, she didn't have much trouble in informing the officer about her motivations.

Sanchez seemed content with her answer and leaned back in his seat.

All four of the gathered officers simultaneously received a buzz on their walkie-talkies.

 _"Attention all units. We've got an urgent 203 at Port City. Suspects spotted driving a red classic sports car, consider armed and extremely dangerous. All available officers please respond."_

"God, a 203?" sounded Blake.

"They must've caused a fucking scene as they stole that car," commented Sanchez as he stood up with his friend. "Hey, why don't you two tag along? We could use all the help we can get."

The two impostors looked at each other anxiously, knowing all too well that it was the other half of the heist crew that was causing the situation at Port City. They, however, had to keep from blowing their cover, and so had no choice but to accept.

"Y-yeah, sure thing," said Jess. "We'll follow you in our car."

By this point, most of the police station was gearing up for combat. Officers brought pump-action shotguns and spike strips, loading them into their patrol cars. The two girls followed Sanchez and Blake out into the night.

"Hey, maybe we'll be on the evening news or something!" called Sanchez to the two women. "News choppers love to catch chases like these!"

"Ah I don't think so," commented Jess. "There's too great a chance one of 'em will kill themselves on live TV."

"Why would that bother them? That'd see like, a big jump in their ratings!"

"Get in the car, dumbass," Blake chided. "You'll get on TV one way or another."

"What's that s'posed to mean, Blake?"

The two officers entered their car and drove off with lights flashing, Jess and Alexia following in their own stolen cruiser. Even more officers flanked them, their sirens wailing just as loud.

 _"I got the suspects in my sight!"_ radioed an officer through the CB. _"Heading north on Poplar Street!"_

 _"Roger that, five units heading to intercept,"_ responded another officer. _"Eight more units and a tactical team on standby. Over."_

"Fucking hell, dude," Jess groaned. "They're sending half the LSPD after them!"

"Hey don't worry, N and E are tough. Besides, we can help 'em out. It's not like we need to stay in cover anymore."

"That might be true...But we'll definitely need to kill Sanchez and Blake."

Alexia grimaced, immediately feeling bad because of the way they had gotten to know them earlier.

"Yeah I know, I kinda like them too," admitted Jess. "...Buuuuuttt at the same time, they've seen our faces. We can't let that slide."

"Dammit J, why'd you have to go and accept their doughnuts?" snapped Alexia.

"You think I'm just gonna pass up an offer of free doughnuts? Look, it doesn't matter now. Let's just kill these guys, help out our friends."

Jess maneuvered the patrol car alongside her fellow officers, making sure to stay at the tail end of the pod that formed heading toward Poplar Street. She felt for the sticky bombs in her vest, itching for the opportunity to blow something up. Alexia, meanwhile, withdrew her AP pistol and inserted a fresh clip into it.

 _"Closing in on the suspects, I see 'em!"_ shouted Blake over the radio.

At that moment, a brilliant red classic car sped across the intersection in front of them, followed by a few cars from the Port Authority as well as several police cars. The officers all blared their sirens as they hung a left and floored it toward the car.

Its occupants were clearly fighting for their lives: the driver swerved through traffic like a maniac, cutting off cars and fitting through incredibly-tiny gaps in traffic, yet somehow managing to not even scratch the car. The occupant of the passenger seat, meanwhile, shot viciously at the officers with her machine pistol, immediately downing one of the patrol cars. In response, several of the officers shot back, unfortunately producing dents in the car's valued exterior.

Alexia signaled to them both on her earpiece.

"N and E, do you copy?"

 _"Yeah, we copy! 'Course it's hard to, over all the fucking police sirens after us! Some help would be appreciated!"_

"Hey don't worry, we're on our way."

"In fact, we're uh...closer than you might think," added Jess, grinning deviously.

A confused silence rang across the other end, but Noël elected not to question Jess's strange musings. Instead, she took a hard left down a one-way street, speeding headlong into incoming traffic. The police were forced to follow.

Jess, meanwhile, readied the bomb in her hand and aimed it at Sanchez and Blake's patrol car. She then threw the explosive and successfully planted it on the back bumper.

She then slowed down, so that they were at a safe distance from their car, and the several that immediately surrounded it. Alexia took the opportunity to cover her ears and clench her eyes shut as Jess produced the detonator.

 _"Hey, Unit 6, where you goin'?"_ asked Blake.

Jess sighed briefly.

"...10-4, motherfuckers."

Jess slammed down on the detonator, immediately ushering forth carnage in the narrow street. Sanchez and Blake were immolated completely, most likely leading to a quick and painless death for the two officers. The other cars beside them were consumed in the explosive fire as well and knocked onto their sides, completely engulfed in flames. The entire corridor was soon littered with charred debris, and every car alarm in the vicinity was blaring in protest of the sheer destruction.

Alexia opened her eyes, and her retinas were flooded by the flames and black smoke jutting out from every conceivable crevice. Jess drove the car through the wreckage so that she could keep up with the docks team and the few police cruisers that escaped the explosion.

 _"Holy hell!"_ remarked Noël.

"Yep, explosions always do the trick," Jess grinned smugly.

Chaotic cacophony issued through the police radio as the remaining officers scattered in the confusion. Alexia, however, fired upon them with her AP pistol, immediately downing the occupants of two cars.

Realizing what was going on, the officers started firing on the police car holding Alexia and Jess.

"Make sure to kill ALL these guys, A!" shouted Jess as she veered off the road to avoid a crashed car. "Lord knows we can't leave witnesses!"

Jess turned off her siren to distinguish herself from the other cars, allowing Elena to shoot from the Casco at the actual officers. Noël took the car on the interstate toward Sandy Shores.

Alexia stuck her head out of the fast-moving car, the wind tossing her hair into her face as she fired at the officers. To deal with a car on Jess's side, she stuck her entire upper body out of the window to get a better view. Jess helped, using a micro-SMG to add to their firepower.

With the cops still on them, Alexia took notice of even more cars coming after them, this time without the markings of the Los Santos police, Instead, they were filled with angry Koreans with submachine guns, who were primarily interested in taking their car back.

"Goddammit, don't we have enough people trying to kill us?" moaned Jess.

"I guess we just pissed off too many groups at once!" opined Alexia. "Hey speed up a little, so we can get closer to N and E!"

"Sure thing, boss!"

Jess grinned wickedly as she floored the accelerator. This gave Alexia ample room to take care of the remaining few police cars and start to work on downing the Koreans.

"You gals in the mood for a police escort?!" yelled Jess.

 _"Shit, not if it means getting fucking incarcerated!"_ retorted Noël.

"Not to worry, N, we're both good cops!" joked Alexia as she killed a Korean shooting at her.

"Yeah N, we help out the criminals...that aren't these criminals chasing us!"

Jess threw yet another sticky bomb behind her and detonated it as a group of Koreans passed over it. The car was launched high in the air before it rolled into a ditch on the side of the road.

"WHAT YOU FUCKING GET FOR MESSING WITH J.A.N.E!" Jess cheered.

Jess rammed the police car into an enemy's vehicle, spinning them off the interstate at high speed. For good measure, Alexia continued firing at the car, killing its occupants.

She turned her attention in front of her, where Elena and Noël were fighting off a couple of cars that had met them at an entrance ramp. In the distance, the lights of Bolingbroke Penitentiary shone brilliantly amongst the black desert night.

Alexia and Elena fired in tandem onto the cars. One of them tried to spin Noël off the road, but the experienced street racer managed to counter the maneuver and instead spin the Koreans out of control. The car was sent into the interstate's sidewall, flipping it upside down and incapacitating or killing all its occupants.

The last remaining car rammed furiously into the Casco's rear bumper, almost making it lose control. Noël, with a resounding screaming of rubber on the asphalt, managed to keep her composure and continue down the interstate. Shortly afterward, a few bullets from Elena killed the driver and the passenger, allowing the Casco and the stolen police car to speed down the interstate in peace.

 _"Agh, they better not detract for the condition of the car!"_ groaned Noël.

"Hey, the agent wouldn't be that cruel," stated Jess. "I mean, taking a stolen car all this way? What condition did he EXPECT it to be in?"

"No matter what it is, I'm sure it can be repaired," said Alexia with a sigh. "In any case, the professor should be fucking grateful for us going to all this trouble for a car."

 _"Well to be fair, it is a pretty cool car,"_ said Noël. _"I mean, I'd probably kill someone to get one of these."_

"I wish I shared your enthusiasm, N...A-anyway, if you two are alright, me and J are gonna go and torch this patrol car. Meet back at my apartment tomorrow morning, and we do the last setup."

 _"Alright, A,"_ affirmed Elena. _"We will see you then."_

"Take care, you two," smiled Jess as she took an exit off of the interstate and ducked under an overpass. The Casco, meanwhile, continued down the dusty highway until they came to the exit at Sandy Shores.

The little girl pulled up to the tiny derelict shed, which still held the prison bus they had swindled earlier in the day. An unknown woman leaned against the wall of the shed, peering up from her smartphone as she saw the approaching headlights.

Noël killed the engine, which had began sputtering from the impact of bullets, and got out to meet the girl, who exhibited a rather hostile nature toward them.

"You two. Out."

"Yeesh, what's your problem, lady?" glared Noël.

She did not say another word to the little girl, instead brushing past her to get into the drivers' seat. She performed an abrupt U-turn, sending a cloud of dust into their faces before driving us.

Noël clenched her tiny fists, anger bubbling up within her.

"Y-yeah, yeah, you're fucking welcome, bitch!" she shouted.

"N..."

Elena laid a hand on the girl's shoulder to calm her down, signaling to her that it was not worth getting angry over.

The little girl sighed briefly before looking up at her taller partner.

"Gah, why do we have to be working for assholes, E? The agent, that girl..."

"I assure you, they are appreciating our efforts. They will just...show their appreciation at the end of this."

"Yeahh, I guess...Still, it wouldn't kill them to fucking say 'thank you'."

"Maybe not. But, that is more along A's line of common courtesy."

Elena pulled out her phone, using it to text her mechanic to deliver her Banshee.

"...So uh, you think A's a good leader?" asked Noël.

"I, uh, think she needs work."

She said this rather bluntly as she pocketed her smartphone, heading towards the road. The little girl followed beside her.

"...What makes you say that?" she asked, trying to carry on a conversation with her stone-faced partner.

"I will say I admire her composure under tough situations like the one we just faced. And she is also smart enough to make the right decisions most of the time. What I worry about is that she is...well, a bit too nice at times. Whenever we meet with the agent, she just appears rather meek and relenting, which in my opinion increases the likelihood of him simply ripping us all off. To me, a leader has to be someone that people would readily think twice about double-crossing. And I really do not think she is at that point yet."

"Hmm, yeah I agree," nodded Noël. "Her unrelenting niceness can get kind of annoying sometimes...Please don't tell this to J, but I'm living in A's apartment now while I try and buy my own place. And she just...let me live with her, no questions asked. She even knew a lot of my annoying habits, but let me stay anyway. Like, how does someone just do that for another person?"

"To me, there is a marked difference between being selfless and being a pushover...And to me, A is straddling that line right now. I hope that as she grows as a leader, she will continue to be selfless, but will have a backbone as well."

"I...guess that's better than her being a greedy leader."

"Greedy she is not...And I think anyone that meets her will gather that from her."

Elena noticed her Banshee parked in a divot next to the road. She headed through the black night to the glistening supercar, Noël following close behind.

She revved her engine and made a beeline for the southbound interstate.

Noël noticed her eyes growing heavy; the cozy leather-padded interior of the car and the steady roar of the heating system threatened to put her steadfast to sleep as Elena drove, so she tried desperately to stay awake until the car reached Los Santos.

"If you need a nap, N, I will not judge you."

Noël looked up at Elena, whose eyes remained locked on the road in a completely neutral manner.

She glanced downwards towards the seat she leaned into.

"I, uh...appreciate it, E."

"People need their sleep," shrugged Elena.

She did not say another word after that. Instead, she remained silently focused on the road as Noël dozed off, relishing in the bliss of her dreamless late-night nap.


	30. The Prison Break: Wet Work

**Hey guys, a bit of an announcement I want to make.**

 **Due to personal issues that I'd rather not bore you with here, this story will be going on an indefinite hiatus after the next chapter. I really do not have the drive that I used to to continue this, but I feel I still owe it to whoever has read it to at least conclude the Prison Break story arc. I apologize dearly to anyone who's made it this far in Alexia's adventures, and I'm very grateful that you've taken the time to read. I just don't feel that I can wrap up this 200K+ word story in a satisfactory manner, and so I'll just have to leave it up to you all to interpret the ending to Alexia's story.**

 **On the upside though, ya boi happens to be working on another story at the moment, based on the Fallout franchise. So if you're interested, give me a look when that comes out.**

 **Now with that being said, I just implore you to sit down, grab some popcorn, and enjoy, my friends.**

* * *

Alexia sat at the island counter in her state-of-the-art kitchen, munching on a quick breakfast of Cok O Pops cereal. Noël had once again commandeered the downstairs bathroom, forcing her to simply contemplate her thoughts and crunch on cereal bits as she waited her turn to get ready.

She scrolled aimlessly on her phone through a news article detailing the case that the two to-be-assassinated lawyers would be prosecuting today. From the article, Rashkovsky's fraudulent business tactics and deceitful egocentrism made him seem a very worthy candidate for punishment, including more jail time. However, Alexia and her team were not on the morally right side of the argument. Instead, they simply worked for the people that could pay them the most.

And besides, the agent did say he was going to help the Skulls in exchange for this favor. She wondered how the Skulls' plan was going. She had been so wrapped up in her own schemes that she had not really questioned how they were going to break out two hundred prisoners allat one time. Even with Alexia and her team providing a distraction, the task seemed insurmountable, even considering the Skulls' massive capabilities.

Whenever she thought of the other Skulls, her mind would inevitably wander back to Damien, who she had not so much as talked to after they had blown up the Rose compound. For a boyfriend and girlfriend, they were rather distant physically. But when he did have the opportunity to wrap her in his arms and plant warm kisses onto her face, she knew that they truly were in love. That said, she wouldn't let something like the fact that they were both busy criminal masterminds detract from her love for Damien.

Still though, the physical separation did hurt. She longed to be beside him once again, to feel his warm body heat pervade her slender frame, to enjoy one of their passionate smooches that left her breathless each time.

Only half-thinking, she scrolled through her contacts before coming to her boyfriend's name, adorned with a complementary series of heart Emojis.

The phone gave its lonely toll a few times before he could answer.

 _"Hey babe, what's happening?"_ he greeted quickly.

"Hey. Uhm, I just wanted to see what you were up to."

 _"Well, what I'm up to is pretty fuckin' illegal. So it's best if we don't talk about it on the phone."_

"N-no, I mean besides the illegal stuff. Like...I-I've just missed you, is all."

Alexia tried not to let her sadness leak out in her words, but Damien could quickly pick up on her wavering tone and tell her emotions.

 _"Look Lex, I've missed you too. I, uh, apologize for not checking up more often, but I've just got this job, PLUS the thing the boss assigned me to...i-it's just been a shitshow, man. A complete fuckin' shitshow."_

"...I take it everything's not going alright then?"

 _"No, not like that. It's just a bit chaotic at the compound right now, y'know? We're still trying to get our hands on enough Dubstas to pull out the gate and transport all the prisoners. And uh, we're making use of that dune buggy you and Elena brought to the compound, installing a gigantic wedge on the front to launch police cars into the air."_

"Wow," laughed Alexia.

 _"Yeahh, I was a bit skeptical at first 'cause it sounds so fucking ridiculous, but after taking it for a test drive, I'm convinced...What I'm worried about is the Roses gettin' word of our plans and deciding to exact revenge for their compound."_

"...Well if they want to, like, hit our compound in retaliation, good fucking luck. It's way more defended than that shithole they called their compound."

 _"I agree with that. It's, y'know, kinda hard to hit a steel-reinforced high rise that's on top of a steep hill. But nonetheless we're upgrading security. We can't take any chances."_

"Yeah...Well, if it's any consolation, I'm almost done making the preparations for my end of the plan. Just got a few loose ends to tie up, and then we should be ready to move tomorrow."

 _"Ah, I love tyin' up loose ends,"_ he said with an audible smirk. _"Makes everything much more stress-free, y'know?"_

"Well I don't know right now, but I guess I'm about to."

 _"Look, um...maybe after this is over, we could get together? Lord knows we'll have to lay low for a while afterwards."_

Alexia immediately beamed with excitement upon hearing this, imagining spending quality time with her boyfriend after all of this craziness was over.

"Y-yeah, yeah that sounds awesome, babe."

 _"Alright then,"_ he chuckled. _"Well uh, shit I gotta go. I'll see you later."_

"Bye, Damien."

She smiled as she hung up, the sound of her significant other's voice having rejuvenated her spirits. She munched contentedly on the rest of her cereal now that she was put somewhat at ease.

"Well, well," Alexia heard behind her. "So you really DO have a boyfriend."

Noël sauntered up to her roommate with the same she-devil atmosphere she always carried about her.

"Yeah? I thought I told you already."

"You did, but I just didn't believe you," she said bluntly. "Honestly, I'm still waiting for you and Jess to start making out in the heist room."

"Then I guess you'll have to keep fantasizing, Noël, 'cause it's not happening."

Noël perked up, surprised at the tactfulness of Alexia's comeback. She, however, continued to consume her cereal as if nothing had happened.

She lowered her eyes in frustration before venturing over to the fridge, pouring herself an identical bowl of cereal. In the process, she callously spilled crumbs and spilled milk onto the priceless granite countertop, immediately earning a glare from Alexia.

"Dude, really?"

"What?" she shrugged as she spilled even more milk.

"You're not even gonna _bother_ cleaning that shit up?"

"No, n-no, I was going to. Just let me eat first."

With that said, she dutifully closed the lid to the milk carton and placed it back in the refrigerator, before balancing the bowl and its contents all the way to the table. The way she did this without making any further mess caused Alexia to think that she was purposefully trying to make her angry, as she often did.

"Look, you're so tense right now," opined Noël as she patted Alexia on the back. "You gotta stay relaxed, Alexia, you're the heist leader."

"Yeah? Well, it's pretty hard when I'm having to constantly clean up after someone. I swear, it's like I'm just babysitting right now."

"...Wait, the fuck did you just say?"

Noël's demeanor suddenly grew angrier. She balled her fists tightly, signaling that she was highly offended by Alexia's remark.

"You heard me," Alexia refused to back down. "Every time you eat anything, or get finished in the bathroom, I have to pick it up because you don't do it yourself. I mean, seriously, how does that much hair get stuck in the sink?!"

"Hey, I can't help that! It's hereditary!" she shouted.

"Yeah? Well, what about all the makeup bottles? And the soda cans? And that pile of takeout boxes in the corner?"

Alexia pointed to the aforementioned corner, where a stack of Chinese takeout boxes were stacked from a meal Noël had ordered last night.

"Hey, I was gonna give you some, but you were asleep!"

"That's not the issue here," countered Alexia. "One housemate isn't supposed to be doing all the cleaning. That's what maids, or parents, or _babysitters_ are for."

"Stop saying that!" she yelled through clenched teeth.

"Make me then."

Alexia leaned forward, staring the little girl down.

"If you wanna be treated like an adult, then I say you act like one. Clean up your own goddamn messes from now on, and BE a fucking adult, got it?"

The atmosphere between them was almost as volatile as when they had first met. The only difference was that now, Noël recognized Alexia as her roommate and, in schemes larger than the first-world problems of the apartment, the leader of the heist crew she was part of.

The little girl, as angry as she was, thought back to Elena's blunt assessment of Alexia as more of a pushover than a leader. This conjecture was true part of the time, except for when she was in the middle of one of her infamous rages. Then, she could be unstoppable, even murderous when it came to the thing that had set her off.

Noël frowned, glancing toward the floor as she decided to relent.

"...Alright Alexia," she said quietly. "You win. I'll pick up after myself."

She quickly hopped down from her seat and grabbed a paper towel, which she used to start cleaning her mess.

Alexia's fiery irises had dulled significantly. Instead, she looked over at the girl with apology spread across her face.

"I'm, uh...s-sorry, Noël, I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"Don't be sorry," assured Noël as she swept her crumbs into a wastebasket. "You, uh, put me in my place...Not many people can do that."

"Yeah, but...still, I shouldn't have flown off the handle like that. You know I try and keep that under control, especially around my friends..."

Noël finished cleaning the countertop as she returned to her seat and scooted close to Alexia, who gazed sadly down at the floor.

"...Y'know, sometimes it's necessary to fly off the handle," she stated honestly. "People like me, we don't really respond well to courtesy and appeasement, it just enables us more to do our own thing. And, uh...y'know, you're the leader now, Alexia. So it certainly wouldn't hurt to assert yourself as the alpha. Hell, you should probably go ahead and kick my ass now, just as an example."

"I'm not gonna do that, Noël," she said dismissively.

"C'mon, it'll teach me not to mess with you."

"I think there's other ways for you to learn, Noël. You're a smart girl...And besides, that's not how I wanna be. I'd rather you respect me genuinely as a leader rather than just be afraid of me."

"But that's how most criminal bosses are! Even the Skulls' boss tortures people to make them submit. I've heard all the stories."

"He's...not as bad as people may think," she worded carefully. "And besides, everyone still respects his leadership qualities, even though he does assert himself every now and then."

"How do you know that?" she asked. "You've met the boss before?"

Alexia took a moment to put together a good lie, knowing that Noël was not aware of her status as Remus's heir apparent.

"...Yeah. He, uh, actually gave me a promotion not too long ago. Invited me to his office and everything."

"Whoa..." her eyes widened. "I-I didn't know people came back from there alive! He must really like you."

"Yeah, you could say that..."

She couldn't help but to smirk as she took another bite of cereal. Noël elected not to question this somewhat-cryptic statement and resumed eating her bowl of identical chocolate-flavored chunks floating in milk.

The doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of the other half of the heist crew. Alexia dutifully got up to answer the door, leaving Noël to finish her breakfast.

"Hey, boss," greeted Jess with a goofy smile. "You ready to move on this thing?"

"I sure am, J. Come on in."

"Well, where's...Elena, where'd you go?"

Jess peered out into the hallway, where she saw Elena keying a message on her smartphone. Seeing Jess looking at her, however, she quickly pocketed the device.

"Sorry. It's, um, business-related."

"Aw it's cool, girl," she comforted, taking the uncomfortable girl around her shoulders. "So uh, what big plans do the Skulls have after this?"

"Well, I suppose it would not break protocol to tell you all..." she answered as she shut the apartment door. "...The short version of it is that we plan on hitting the Roses' vehicle import business. They are, uh, making quite a bit of money selling luxury cars on the black market, it's run out of this warehouse in East Los Santos. We will steal their shipments and sell the cars for ourselves, before making preparations to shut their business down permanently."

"Luxury cars, eh?" inquired Noël. "You're talking like supercars?"

"Mostly, yes. But they also sell some very...specialty vehicles as well. For example, we've tracked purchases of Rocket Voltics, which is basically exactly what it sounds like - a Coil Voltic with a giant rocket booster mounted on the back."

"That sounds...highly impractical," opined a skeptical Alexia.

"On the contrary, they are highly useful. We are hoping to steal a few for ourselves...that is, if we can catch up to one without totaling it."

"Hmm. Well, maybe I could help you out, E," stated Noël. "Vehicle theft is like, my bread and butter."

"It is a very dangerous job, N. And you are still but a rookie, yes?"

"Yeah, but...c'mon, you saw how I hauled ass in that Casco. I think I can handle it."

"Very well," nodded Elena. "In that case, I will think about it."

"It'd suit you to get involved, N, and make yourself known in our ranks," nodded Alexia. "But let's focus on what we're doing right now."

"Ah yes, the loose ends," remembered Elena. "So, who is going where?"

Alexia paused in her words, looking over at each of her crewmates and thinking about the jobs the agent had detailed in his hastily-built plan.

"Well, um, forgive me for interjecting, boss," stated Jess. "But I think you should definitely go to City Hall, since you're so good with a sniper rifle...I-I mean, you're the leader and everything, so you-"

"At ease, Jess. I agree with you."

"Whew, thank God," she sighed happily.

"Alright, so I'm going to City Hall, and who's coming with me?"

The crew was hesitant to respond, looking to each other to confirm that no one else wanted to go.

"Well, um..." Elena cleared her throat. "I've performed my fair share of assassinations in the past. Mostly in war-torn countries, but still, I can handle a rifle, if you decide you want me with you, A."

"Well, you did give me my first sniper rifle, E," she smiled. "I'm guessing you weren't just using it for display?"

Elena shook her head silently.

"Well uh, alright then," affirmed Alexia. "Me and E are going to City Hall, which leaves..."

Noël's eyes widened in horror as she caught sight of her partner, who grinned happily in return.

"Ohh, n-n-no! Me and her, that's not happening!"

"Jesus N, can you suck it up already?" sighed Alexia. "J hasn't even bothered you for...well, at least 24 hours."

"Yeah, I-I think I've gotten over the initial shock of your cuteness, N," Jess nodded. "I mean, you're still friggin adorable, but I can at least be around you and not-"

"You're not GONNA be around me, end of story!" Noël countered.

"N, be reasonable here," said Elena. "You honestly expect to not be around J at all, even though you are on the same team?"

"In fact, you two could probably use some time together," agreed Alexia. "Because Lord knows you couldn't handle a sniper rifle that's almost as big as you, N."

Noël's eyes became livid with anger as she realized she was indeed stuck with Jess on this mission.

"C'mon, it won't be so bad," Jess smiled at her. "Me and you on a stealth mission together. We can handle this."

"Now, how can someone as loud and abrasive as you utilize any form of stealth?" squinted Noël.

"Shh shh, don't worry about that now," she comforted, putting a finger to the girl's lips. "Let's just do it, man. It needs doing, and the boss needs it done. That's all I need to know."

"Be careful, you two," said Alexia. "Call me once you've dealt with Mr. Popov, and then meet bright and early tomorrow morning for the heist...We're almost there, ladies. So let's not fuck it up now."

"We're in the business of not-fucking-things-up, A," Jess saluted her. "Now let's go, N."

Jess bounced to the door and opened it for her diminutive partner. The little girl simply scowled as she passed her by.

Alexia headed into the heist room to grab her sniper rifle, while Elena called in one of her cars that she knew to have a rifle stashed in the back. The two headed outside to be greeted by one of Elena's other cars, a sleek silver Rapid GT. They both climbed into the car and sped off toward the downtown area and City Hall.

The heist leader performed a quick inspection of her sniper rifle before turning to her partner.

"Okay E, so there's a building across from City Hall that should give us an unobstructed view of the courthouse."

"I see. We just have to get up there without being spotted."

Alexia nodded affirmatively.

"Alright then. I will circle around the block and see if there is a ladder or anything we can climb up."

"Thank god this isn't a big media court case or anything," sighed Alexia. "Seriously, online sites are barely covering it."

"That suits us. We wouldn't want any cameramen to air the assassination on TV."

"Or get caught in the crossfire."

"Hmm. Agreed."

Elena's eyes remained on the road, and the two did not speak further. Instead, Alexia tended back to her rifle as Elena remained focused on the road.

A disheartened Alexia wanted desperately to make a connection with Elena, but could not yet crack through her tough outer shell, a trait which she had mostly likely developed in defense of the scary Russian agents and criminals she had dealt with. She could tell that Elena respected her and possibly cared for her more intimately than as a crew member, but they were not quite at the realm of 'close friends' like Jess and Noël were. She wanted to get closer to Elena, but this all hinged on how much she wanted to open up to her.

Elena drove up to the building that Alexia had pointed out. She spotted a service ladder and stopped her car, reaching into the back to grab her own sniper rifle.

Alexia headed up first, slinging the rifle over her shoulder before she climbed the rungs of the ladder. Elena followed close by with her rifle.

The two partners crept along the sunbathed rooftop before coming to the ledge that overlooked the Los Santos County Courthouse. The imposing plaster-white building, along with the street below, were clearly visible to the two assassins. They both loaded their rifles with the appropriate ammo and waited for their targets to arrive.

The familiar sound of static sounded in Alexia's earpiece.

 _"Okay, I'm reading that you're in position,"_ said the agent.

"H...how do you know that?" she questioned him.

 _"Don't worry about it now. The lawyers are gonna be arriving together in a black Benefactor Schafter. It's pertinent that you take 'em out at the EXACT same time. One of 'em somehow escapes, this whole thing is blown. And uh, be ready for heavy resistance from local law enforcement as well."_

"Roger that," said an eagle-eyed Elena as she peered into her scope. "We will retrieve the dossier with minimal civilian casualties."

 _"I don't care how many people you gotta kill to get that thing, as long as it's retrieved...Over."_

Alexia and Elena grimaced alike. As much as they disliked the agent and his methods, they nonetheless had to work for him.

The two partners looked over at each other for a moment as they waited for the two lawyers to arrive. Alexia, who was never a conversationalist, did not know what to say to break the silence between them.

"...So uh, you mentioned you were an assassin, E?" she spoke uncomfortably.

"Yes I was. First for the KGB, and then I was a contract killer for a while. Mostly dealt with political targets, I never took personal hits."

"Wow. I mean...not to impose or anything, but your life sounds pretty awesome."

She shook her head solemnly.

"No, I wouldn't call it 'awesome'. Especially considering some of things I have done, and...some of the things other people have done to me..."

"Oh uh, I-I mean..." Alexia stuttered. "...Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like-"

"A," she stopped her. "It is alright...Why don't we talk about this another time?"

"Y-yeah, uh...sure, E. Whatever you want."

Elena sighed heavily, adjusting her scope so that it was at maximum focus. Alexia did the same, partially to abate the awkwardness.

She looked to her right, to witness their desired car pulling up to the curb.

"There they are, three o' clock," she informed Elena. "L-let's wait until they get out of the car to shoot."

"Affirmative."

The two girls' hands rested on their rifles, their sweaty fingers itching toward the trigger.

Eventually, the car came to a stop, and two men in business suits climbed out, chatting while enjoying their morning coffee. One of the men held a briefcase, which Alexia supposed held the agent's desired dossier.

She focused in on the face of the lawyer on her side. Being able to see the smiling face of the man she was to assassinate did not help to abate her guilt over supposedly killing a noncombatant, an innocent lawyer who just happened to have taken the wrong case.

"Targets are in focus," said Elena, breaking Alexia from her morality and gearing her more towards the emotionless automaton that could perform mass murder with ease.

She sighed before focusing in on the lawyer's head, who had since turned to walk toward the courthouse.

"Okay, on 3," she said in a hushed voice. "1...2...3!"

Two shots rang simultaneously through the open air. Two lawyers fell to the pavement with brain and skull matter pooling from bullet wounds in the backs of their heads. Pedestrians who had heard the shots and seen the lawyers keel over dead and bloody scrambled for cover, terrified for their lives.

Alexia and Elena, meanhile, met each other's gaze again, now that their work was done.

"Damn..." said Alexia with a light smile. "...We did that pretty efficiently."

"Yes, that was good work, A," she nodded.

"You too, E."

The two friends were interrupted by the dissonant sounding of police sirens, nearing the location of the dead lawyers and the dropped dossier.

"Fucking hell, that was quick!" remarked Alexia.

Elena grimaced, sighting the horde of cops coming their way.

"A, if you stay up here and cover me, I will go down and retrieve the dossier."

"You sure, E?" questioned Alexia. "I-I can come down with you if you-"

"No, it would probably be best if we retain the high ground. Once the heat is dispersed, you come down, and we escape together."

Alexia nodded at her capable partner, who looked resolutely at the growing number of police cars coming in all directions.

"Alright, E. Let's do this."

Elena nodded silently before sprinting across the roof and back down the ladder. As soon as enough cops had congregated, she switched to her assault rifle and began firing, which caused the horde of police officers to take cover behind their patrol cars. Alexia, meanwhile, fired down on the officers with her decked-out Special Carbine. Atop the building, she was able to get a clear enough sight on the officers to kill several of them. Unfortunately though, more screaming police cars came to replace the ones they had downed.

Alexia and Elena dug in, preparing for an arduous battle with the Los Santos Police Department.

* * *

On the other end of the city, Noël cruised down the narrow, mansion-bounded streets in her tricked-out Cheval Fugitive. Jess had graciously allowed her to drive them both there, but this did not alleviate Noël's inherent discomfort toward the situation.

The jubilant blonde girl looked out the window as the array of polished mansion-houses passed them by.

"Man, I just love living out here," she proclaimed. "Getting that fresh mountain every day. It's fucking invigorating."

"W-wait, you have a house up here?" asked Noël skeptically.

"Mm-hmm. Heck, me and Mr. Popov are practically neighbors, even though we've never met. I'm, uh, just down that street there."

Jess pointed down a side street which was flanked by a number of fancy stilt houses.

"Hey, why don't you come visit after all of this?" Jess grinned.

"Nah, I-I think I'm good."

"N, c'mon," she pleaded. "I-I'm really trying here, girl."

Noël gave a disdainful grunt in response as she kept her eyes locked on the road.

Jess's smile faded away, and she leaned back in her seat, playing with her short locks of hair as she thought of a response in the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"...Y'know, you're not the only person I find cute, right?" she explained. "Lots of things are that way in my eyes. Heck, even Alexia is super cute to me."

Noël perked up at this information. She glanced to Jess, meeting her similar sky-blue eyes and blonde curls.

"You...you do?" she asked.

"Yeah, man. Alexia is cute as fuck. I-I mean..."

Jess broke out into chuckles as Noël listened.

"...W-when I first met her, I was just completely overwhelmed by how adorable she was. And who can blame me, right? That sweet little voice of hers, the way her cheeks light up whenever she smiles...I mean, who wouldn't find her to be the cutest thing ever?"

"I see..." remarked Noël. "...Would you say that you find her...attractive too?"

"Well...yeah," she admitted. "I think she's really pretty, actually. Both internally and externally."

"Interesting..."

Noël had traces of a devious smile forming on her lips as Jess continued reminiscing about Alexia.

"I mean, Lexi's just a pleasure to be around, y'know? She's generous and kind, not to mention insanely smart and beautiful. We've hit it off really well ever since the first job we pulled together. That ended up being the one where we killed the guy I was dating at the time. The fucking rat bastard betrayed us for a few hits of crack from the Vagos."

"Well that's just shitty."

"I know, right?" she nodded. "...But ever since then, Lexi's stuck with me through thick and thin, every job we've done. I-I don't know where I'd be if she hadn't came into my life...Probably dead in an alley somewhere, from a heroin overdose..."

Noël's eyes widened, as she had not expected the conversation to change so drastically. Jess sighed, her normally-mischievous pupils flat and morose as she looked at the floor.

"...So wait, she helped you get off heroin?"

"Mm-hmm. She convinced the Skulls to send me to a rehab facility, and I got rid of my drug addictions there. Thanks to her, I can just...live my life now, without worrying about getting my next hit or what possessions to sell to get more dope. And for that, I owe her big-time. Not sure how I'm gonna repay her for all she's done for me."

"Well, uh...o-okay, I guess she's changed my life for the better too," Noël admitted. "Getting me into these heist jobs and all is a pretty big favor."

"Ooh, then maybe we could repay her together," Jess grinned excitedly. "Uhm...o-okay, her birthday's in April, so we can just wait till then and throw her a surprise party."

"Wait, the fuck?" questioned Noël. "A birthday party's gonna repay Alexia?"

"Well, it'll certainly count towards it...I-it could be a big party too, with cake and bouncy houses! Ooh, a-and I could get Love Fist to play, too! They'll do anything for drug money!"

"Alright, alright," Noël grumbled, as Jess had begun shouting again. "I...I guess we do owe her that much, or something equivalent, if we survive this job."

"We're gonna survive, N, don't worry," she proclaimed. "I won't let them hurt a hair on your cute little head-"

 _"I said not to fucking call me cute!"_ Noël hissed at her.

"Fine, fine, okay."

The car reverted back to silence for a bit, Noël's tiny eyes concentrated on the road.

Looking at the girl beside her, Jess's lips curbed into a playful smile.

"...cutie."

Noël's high-pitched scream that followed reverberated off the car windows, ushering nothing but gleeful snickering from Jess.

Thankfully, before Jess could degrade any more of Noël's sanity, the car pulled up to Dima Popov's Richman Glen abode. The girl parked her Fugitive beside the house, which was surrounded by an imposing concrete wall and a locked security gate.

The two prepared their silenced weapons, which the agent had left for them in the heist room. Jess carried a suppressed Combat Shotgun, while Noël sported a silenced Assault SMG.

"Alright N, so I guess the best option here is scaling the wall. I normally carry some malware for hacking security gates, but...Mr. Piggy, sadly, didn't survive his last adventure with me."

"Mr. Piggy? What?" questioned Noël.

"Yeah. He died a heroic death, in my pocket, as I jumped into the pool at the Playdude mansion to rescue A. I-it's a long story, but he hasn't worked anymore since then, so we're gonna have to take the more direct approach."

"Pfft. Whatever," Noël rolled her eyes. "I'm just amazed at how little goddamn sense you make at times."

The girl exited the car, Jess following in a stealthy manner until they reached the wall. Jess then jumped up and held onto the edge of the wall, pulling herself up with her arms so that she could lay eyes upon the front yard. From her line of sight, only one guard was present in this area, but he soon left to tend to other matters, giving them an ample timeframe to infiltrate the property.

Jess jumped down hurriedly.

"Alright, we're clear, N. I'll give you a boost up."

Jess readied her hands, which Noël readily set her foot onto as she prepared her arms to climb the wall. This was followed, however, by Jess launching the little girl several feet into the air and clear over the wall. She screamed as she flew into the mansion's yard before landing with a resounding crash upon the lawn.

 _"WHAT THE FUCK!"_ she audibly yelled at her from the other side.

"Sorry!" Jess replied, not expecting her to throw the lightweight girl so far. "I-I guess I don't know my own strength sometimes."

Jess quickly jumped up once again and pulled herself over the wall, rolling as she landed on the manicured grass. She looked to Noël, who had thankfully landed in a patch of soft grass. This, however, did not stop her from glaring at Jess with hateful eyes.

"Hey! Who's out there?" a male voice called from another end of the yard.

Noël's glaring eyes soon turned fearful as she heard the guard approaching their position. Jess, however, smiled determinedly, helping the little girl to her feet.

 _"Follow my lead, N,"_ she whispered, before pulling Noël over to a small garden area.

The guard came to the front lawn, hand positioned over his holster in preparation of dealing with any intruders. He scanned around the lawn and the garden, only to find the usual collection of Greek statues gathered around a small bubbling fountain.

One of the colored figures, however, he didn't remember being there: it featured a woman in a bright dress holding up a little girl by her waist, smiling proudly as the smaller girl held a strange angry expression, as if she resented the cheerful statue holding her in this way. The figure, however, remained just as still and nondescript as the other statues depicting beautiful women, so the guard did not inherently question it.

"Man, I must be going fucking crazy..."

He muttered to himself as he turned his back. This was immediately followed, however, by a bullet entering his back. He fell to the ground, witnessing as the taller blonde-haired girl stepped up to him.

"Oh don't worry, you're not crazy," she said with a cheery smile. "You'll die knowing that, at least."

Jess retained her smile as she drew her suppressed shotgun and blew the guard's face to smithereens, spilling blood and brain matter over the freshly-manicured lawn.

She calmly wiped her forehead of sweat before turning to Noël.

"Alright, let's split up and work our way to the backyard."

"Got it."

"See you on the other side, cute-ums."

Jess blew her a kiss before swiftly departing, leaving Noël with a heavy scowl emboldened across her face. Nonetheless, she drew her suppressed SMG and took the other side of the house.

The two girls killed all guards in their path with a series of muffled shots. It did not take long for Jess to take care of two guards with a single spray of shotgun pellets, allowing her to climb up a staircase that led to a raised deck overlooking the backyard. Noël, staying on the ground, killed the remaining guards in the yard as Jess approached their target.

Mr. Dima Popov sat playing on a tablet device, completely unaware of what was happening or of the tall blonde girl approaching his position.

Jess promptly cleared her throat to get his attention. The man jumped in fright upon seeing the armed stranger, smiling calmly on the sun-soaked deck.

"...Good morning," she greeted with a wave before killing her target with a headshot, leaving his bloodied corpse to slump off of the patio chair he had sat upon. His tablet device was also loosened from his grip and fell to the floor beside Jess. Naturally, she could not help herself but to pick it up and see what he was playing.

"Aw man...He got to Level 60 on Candy Crap!" Jess gasped in amazement. "I couldn't even make it past level 58!"

Jess immediately started playing on the device, navigating the level that Mr. Popov had left unfinished. Her partner, meanwhile, bounded up the steps and seized in terror at what Jess was doing.

"Hey man, what the fuck?!" she yelled. "We gotta get outta here!"

"Y-yeah, yeah, just let me finish this..." Jess replied, eyes glued to the various candies that floated across the screen.

Noël grabbed the device out of Jess's hands and angrily hurled it off the balcony, where it splashed into the swimming pool below.

"Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? Are you TRYING to leave fingerprints, or are you just dumb as a fucking BRICK FULL OF SHIT?!"

Jess stared down at her hands, as if the little girl had broken her out of some sort of trance.

"...Well? Answer the goddamn question!" demanded Noël.

She directed her eyes to Noël, who tapped her foot impatiently on the hardwood deck. Seeing the girl in her frilly dress and long blonde pigtails, with such a cute frown across her face, Jess couldn't help but to give a smile.

"I...I'm sorry, N, I guess that was pretty dumb."

"Yeah, no shit! Now let's get going!"

Jess followed her partner past the corpses of Mr. Popov and all of the bodyguards they had slain. They climbed back over the wall before making a hasty exit to Noël's car. She sped off, leaving the scene of the bloody assassination they had performed.

Jess sighed happily, calling Alexia on her radio.

"Yo A, Target B is taken care of. How are you guys on your end?"

 _"Awesome, J. Me and E have got the dossier, we're heading back to headquarters now."_

"Ooh, the J.A.N.E headquarters," mused Jess. "Well uh, I'll see you there tomorrow, I guess. Be safe, you two."

 _"And you two as well...See you, J."_

Alexia hung up, leaving Jess to think about the job that their team would be pulling off in less than 24 hours.

"...Alright N, would you mind dropping me off at my place?"

"Hey, the sooner I can get rid of you, the better," chided Noël.

"C'mon, don't be like that," smiled Jess. "We pulled the job, didn't we?"

"Look...I-I dislike you, okay?" she stated fiercely. "In fact, if we weren't on the same team together, I'd probably end up stabbing you in the _fucking throat_..."

Noël sighed as Jess looked at her curiously.

"But...the way I see it, I don't dislike you enough to end our partnership and squander hundreds of thousands. So there, is that enough for you?"

"Aww, Noël..."

Jess became teary-eyed, as if she appreciated Noël's anti-truce with her.

"Th-that's just about the nicest thing that's ever been said to me...by you."

Noël huffed as Jess sniffled happily beside her.

"Aww, c'mere, N!"

"WHAT THE F-!"

Jess wrapped her arms snugly about the little girl's shoulders as she drove, her face brushing up against Noël's braided curls. Unfortunately, she was forced to drive with Jess latching onto her in this manner all the way through Vinewood Hills and up to Jess's doorstep.

* * *

Later that night, Alexia lay upon her comfy queen-sized bed, reading a book by the light of a small table lamp. Since the heist crew would be meeting early the next morning, she reasoned that she would have to get a good night's sleep in order to lead her crew effectively through the bedlam and hellfire of Bolingbroke State Penitentiary.

The words on the page in front of her became useless garbles, clusters of rambling paragraphs that made no sense. Her mind remained focused not on the classic Charles Dickens story she was holding in her hands, but rather of flashes of explosions and gunshots and her crew dying bloody deaths, all under her leadership, a travesty that would surely undermine her future to lead the Skulls.

Sighing in frustration, she closed the book and turned off her light, enveloping herself in a thick layer of blankets. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to blank out her mind and sleep.

"...Hey, Alexia?"

She sat up to witness Noël, standing at the foot of her stairs in her pajamas and with her hair unbraided, reaching down to her waist. She stood with her hands behind her back, as if ashamed of something and reluctant to tell Alexia about it.

In the dim light from upstairs, the girl's eyes were flecked with a prominent sadness, taking Alexia by surprise.

"What is it, Noël?" she asked as she turned the light back on, revealing Noël attempting to hold her hair over her face, covering one of her sad, glistening irises.

She grimaced as she looked at the ground.

"I, uh...I...I can't sleep is all."

"You can't sleep?"

Noël pouted, nodding wordlessly. Alexia could tell that, as ever, Noël was ashamed to admit her weaknesses to her.

She, however, was more than willing to scoot over in her bed.

"Here, you can sleep with me tonight," she said with a smile.

Noël scoffed.

"Yeah, I bet that's what you want, is for girls to sleep with you."

Despite Noël's insult, she nonetheless climbed into bed beside Alexia, enveloping herself in the soft blankets and snuggling her head into some pillows.

The girl appeared to relax greatly as she rested beside her roommate, as if she felt safer in having Alexia close by. However, despite the warmth of the blankets and the gentle light from Alexia's table lamp, it did not abate the awkwardness of having to reveal a softer side of herself. Accordingly, she lied on the bed a good distance from Alexia, so as to discourage herself from any undue snuggling into her friend's body.

"...So uh, why couldn't you sleep, Noël?" asked Alexia, respecting the girl's reluctance to physical contact.

The little girl sighed as she looked to the ceiling.

"Well, i-it was just a weird dream I had is all...I was at a race, with a bunch of other people in supercars. Only, i-it was different. The course was, like, suspended a hundred feet in the air above the city, without the help of support cables or anything. And there were all these special effects and fireworks and...well, anyway, as soon as the race started, I took the lead, and there were all these...super-high jumps and loop-de-loops and explosions as people got knocked off the course, all this...seemingly random shit just suspended over the whole city like it was nothing!...But, I guess it was just a dream. That can't possibly be real."

"Yeahh, that sounds like some kind of fever dream, Noël," suggested Alexia.

"I don't have a fever...More than likely, I think my thoughts are just all boggled up right now. It's hard for me to focus on anything coherent not related to this job."

"I feel you, N," Alexia lamented. "But...don't worry, everything's gonna be fine. We're gonna do this for the agency, and they're gonna help out the Skulls in return."

"How do you know they're not just gonna leave us hanging after this?" she asked seriously.

"Because the agent said he had other 'lucrative opportunities' planned for me in the future. I figure I could use you guys in those jobs too."

"Yeah, what's he gonna have us do next, blow up the White House? Or topple a dictatorship somewhere?"

"Shit, I hope not," Alexia laughed as she leaned back in bed. "But my gut kinda tells me he'd be against that."

"Well I hope your gut is right, because I don't want doomsday to be on my hands...No matter how cool it might be to be called 'Noël, Destroyer of Worlds'."

She breathed out of her nose as her eyes diverted themselves past Alexia and over to her nightstand.

"...So uh, what are you reading?"

"Oh um, it's _A Tale of Two Cities_ by Charles Dickens."

"Dickens, really?" Noël burst out laughing at the author's name.

"Hey, the book's actually pretty good. It's about the French Revolution, and how the Reign of Terror sprouted from the ideology of-"

"Haven't even read the fucking thing and I'm already bored as shit," the little girl groaned.

Alexia looked to the book on her nightstand, grabbing its leatherbound exterior.

"Welll, how about I read it to you? To, uh, help you fall asleep."

"C'mon, Alexia, I'm 8. I'm way too old for that stuff."

"I read stories for my brothers back when they were kids. My mom would have done it, had she not been shitfaced drunk every night."

"Heh, that's kinda like how my mom was," said Noël with a laugh.

"Yeah...So uh, you wanna hear the story or not?"

"Gah, fine. If it'll make you feel better."

With that said, Noël shifted closer to Alexia on the bed, until she was practically under the crook of her arm. Alexia, meanwhile, cleared her throat before beginning, with Noël's eyes on the page she was reading.

"Alright, Chapter 1: The Period... _'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.'_ "

"God, can this guy speak one sentence that's not a fucking riddle?" chided Noël.

"That's just how authors talked back then...Try and go to sleep, okay? This story's like three books long."

"Jesus, with pleasure."

Noël plopped her head down on the pillow, her hair partially covering her face as Alexia continued reading. She continued in this fashion, reciting Dickens' prose as the girl fell steadfast to sleep beside her.


End file.
